Reincarnated Love
by polka-dotted-coffee-cups
Summary: Draco Malfoy has lost almost everything ever held dear to him, his heart is smashed and he hates life. That is, until Hermione Granger falls in love with him. His once dead heart comes back to life. I know crappy summary but please read you might like it!
1. Chapter 1

Hey! I know my first story was kind of a bore so I found one that I will at least **try **to keep going in a relatively interesting plot. But I am going to try and finish the other story and make it a bit better. I hope you enjoy this one!

**Disclaimer-**I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize.

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 1- Rock Bottom **

"Oh Draco!" Lisa said, looking down at her finger. There sat a ring with a large emerald stone shaped like a diamond. "It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. The two of them were sitting on his bed making out when Draco had suddenly pulled away to give her the ring that now sat on her ring finger. Lisa looked at Draco, eyes sparkling. "Thank you so much. I love it." she said and gave Draco a kiss.

"I'm glad, it took me forever to find the perfect one." Draco said, looking proud of himself. He loved it when he made Lisa happy. She would get this sparkle in her eye and her face would light up. Whenever he was the source of this reaction, he felt a tingle in his body and he would be happy for the rest of the day, no matter what.

"Well, it looks like you found it." Lisa said smiling. "But, you didn't have to. I did say that I didn't care about Valentine's day. I would be happy just sitting here with you." she added still smiling. Draco rolled his eyes, he knew that women always expected SOMETHING. Whether it was a diamond necklace or a homemade card, as long as it was SOMETHING.

"Yeah, well your too special to NOT get something from me." Draco said. "I mean, you put up with me everyday. You deserve at least one diamond." he added.

"Aww, that was sweet but a little too sweet. You sound like you're sucking up." Lisa said laughing. Her laugh sent shivers up Draco's spine. They weren't the kind of shivers you get from some creepy guy who "coincidentally" pops up everywhere you are, but they were nice shivers that revives you in the most pleasant ways. "Anyway, I have something for you, too." Lisa said as she reached into her bag. She pulled out two thin boxes and handed them to her boyfriend. "Here."

He took the boxes and opened the first. There lay a silver chain with a black and white peace sign. He touched the charm at the end of the chain and felt a surge of energy shoot up his arm. He looked at the charm, intrigued.

"It was my great grandfather's. Before he died, he gave it to me." Lisa said. She was watching Draco closely. "They, that is my family members, say that it contains some sort of power that no one has been able to release. It's supposed to be powerful only for the one to whom it belongs." she paused. "I give it to you with the thought that maybe the true owner is not in my family. And, I want to share a bit of my family with you." Lisa smiled at him.

"Thank you. It is very interesting and peculiar." Draco said. He was amazed that anyone would trust him with something as valuable as this.

Lisa smiled. "It is. I thought that you would enjoy something like this."

"I do." Draco said smiling at her. He carefully laid the open box on the bed next to him. He picked up the second box and slid the top off. There, sat another chain this time with a gold cross strung on it. On the cross, the tiny, silver body of Jesus Christ lay pinned to the cross.

"It's for good luck." Lisa said. "You know, since you work for _him_ now." she added as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I just want to you to be safe." Draco looked up at her and smiled.

"Thank you. I'll keep it with me always." he said. He pulled her into a hug.

Suddenly, the door opened and everything went blank.

Draco Malfoy woke up drenched in sweat. He had had another one of those dreams again. _Why was he being tortured like this?_ It had been almost a year since Lisa was killed; almost a year since his heart was broken. No, it wasn't broken, it was mauled. He had felt like someone took his heart and ripped it to shreds. Then they scattered the pieces so that he would never be able to find them again.

Draco touched the crucifix that hung around his neck. It was the crucifix that she had given him on that day. Ever since that day, he never took it off. Neither did she ever take off the ring he had given her. It showed only part of his love for her. I say part because he had way too much love for Lisa to have something so small, yet valuable, represent it. Even if it was an engagement ring.

Draco climbed out of his four poster bed. He despised the silence that filled the Malfoy household. The house held many memories, good and bad. He detested the entire house for the pain it had caused him to be in it. Even his room became a host to his terrible memories. This was the same room that was once his only sanctuary. It was his only place to hide from his father. Then it became Lucius Malfoy's favorite place to beat his son. It had gotten so bad that Draco could not sleep at night and he loathed coming home for even a second.

Now, there were even more painful memories held in this room. When his father had found out that he was dating a Gryffindor, almost every good thing turned bad. He had to lie to his father whenever he left to meet Lisa and when his father found out, there was hell to pay. Draco was never allowed to bring her home to meet anyone in his family, not that he would anyway.

As Draco walked across the cold wooden floor, he remembered everything that happened in this room. He rummaged through the draws to find a shirt. He pulled on his shirt and noiselessly walked into the hallway. Not one of the floor boards creaked as he walked down the stairs to his living room.

Draco plopped onto the cushiony couch by the fire. There was a mug of hot chocolate sitting on the table. He picked it up and silently thanked the house elves. They always knew what to do on these nights.

He sat there drinking his hot chocolate and thinking by the fire. _What was going on with him? Why was this happening to him? Why was he DRACO MALFOY so scared of living? Why was he still alive? It was because of her that he was still alive, Gwynavere _(Gwen- a- veer) _Malfoy. The bossy, psychotic, crazed, stubborn and oddly kind and loving cousin of Draco Malfoy. She had stopped him from dying. He had a choice: live or die. He was aiming for death but Gwyn and her loving, pouting self just had to stop him. She had told him that he was her best friend. How was he going to leave someone whose says something as honest and heartwarming as that? He couldn't!_

Just then, Draco's thoughts were interrupted when the object of his thoughts sat down on the couch next to him. Her overly blonde hair was perfect, as usual. It hung around her face like a silky mask and prevented Draco of seeing her expression. She sat cross-legged on the couch and looked into the fire as if in a trance. There she was the 'Great Gwynavere' in all her glory.

"What are you doing up so early?" she asked barely suppressing a yawn.

"Couldn't sleep." Draco replied expressionless. It was definitely the truth. Who would be able to sleep when every time they closed their eyes, they saw dead people?

"Same here." Gwyn said. She turned to face her cousin. Her blue eyes shined with a glint of the fire in them. The fire cast eerie shadows on her flawless skin. "What are you thinking?" she asked curiously.

"I'm just thinking about what could have been if…" he found himself trailing off. Gwyn gave him a sympathetic look.

"Stop doing that to yourself." she said seriously. Draco looked at her.

"I can't, it just happens! It's like everything is collapsing on my life; like everything is crumbling around me! I can't help but regret not being there." his outburst had scared even him. Gwyn surveyed his face and searched his eyes for his emotion.

"There are good things that can come from the bad. The bad things allow the new things to take their place. The new things can't just pop up out of nowhere and kick out the old." Gwyn said trying to word it right.

"But I didn't want a new thing then and I still don't want a new thing now." he whined slightly.

"Maybe you are in need of this new thing." his cousin offered. Draco looked at her and sighed.

"Do you know what I dreamt about tonight?" he asked. Gwyn remained silent but she knew perfectly well _who _he was dreaming about. Draco took this silence as a sign for him to continue. "I dreamt of her, of Lisa. She was with me and we were together but something wasn't right, something was going to happen. I knew what it was but I refused to watch it so I woke myself up." Draco struggled to continue. "Each night, it gets harder to wake up and I know that I'll have to witness it sooner or later. Every time I have that dream, I feel as though I am plummeting farther and farther down; like I am going crazier and crazier. It wont be long now, before I hit rock bottom and become a complete nutcase. I'll be seeing dead people everywhere, like that kid in that movie Lisa made us watch." Draco stopped, trying to remember the name of the movie.

Gwyn smiled. "The Sixth Sense, I think." she began to laugh. "I can see it now, you freaking out and hiding in a corner, hugging your legs, sucking your thumb and rocking back and forth." she laughed louder. Draco stared at her looking hurt. She stopped. "Oh I'm sorry Draco, I just thought it was funny, seeing _you,_ of all people, in such a state." she said with a bit of sarcasim.

Draco tried as hard as he could not to laugh with his cousin. Part of him was hurt at the thought of her laughing at his problem. Then, the other part of him found the scene amusing. He couldn't help but to laugh with her. Gwyn always seemed to lighten up a situation.

"But seriously, I feel terrible." Draco said after the moment had died away.

"I know. Maybe, going back to school will do you some good." she said cheerily. Light began to peek through the curtains of the high windows that bordered the room. "Ah, the sun is rising." Gwyn said getting up and walking toward the windows. With one swift movement, she flung the curtains of the first window open. She took a deep breath and smiled. The sun gave a new and pleasant shine to her face. She turned toward Draco. "Yes, I determine that school will do you a great good."

_Hermione _

Hermione Granger woke up at the crack of dawn. She was more excited today than she had been all summer. She took a nice hot shower and grabbed some clean clothes. Her clothes fit her perfectly, they were not too revealing and not too conserving; they were just right. They did her newly discovered figure justice while still leaving enough to the imagination.

Hermione looked in the mirror and noticed how different she looked. She had figured out how to tame her wild hair, now it was curly instead of puffy. Her face was different in some way but she couldn't figure out what it was exactly. All her changes were not all that major but they were noticeable.

She grabbed her jacket, shoved her wand in her pocket and ran down the stairs. To her surprise, Harry and Ron were sitting in her kitchen. She knew they were coming early but, jeeze.

"Hey guys!" she exclaimed happily. Harry and Ron both looked at her. They hadn't seen her for a couple of weeks and now she looked different. In their eyes, she looked completely different. She was…more attractive.

"Hey Hermione!" Harry said. He had finally taken it all in. Ron followed suit. "Wow! You look different." He said.

"Not that different, I hope." Hermione replied.

"You're still recognizable but you look really different, in a good way." Harry said smiling. Ron nodded vigorously.

After saying 'Goodbye' to Hermione's parents, the three of them headed out the door and arrived at the Weasley household. They had breakfast and hung out for the rest of the day.

"I can't wait to get back to school." Ron said with a stupid grin on his face. The three of them were lying in a field by the Burrow.

"Me neither, I need something normal in my life." Harry added.

Hermione looked at the clouds thinking. Harry and Ron noticed her silence and looked at her concerned. After a few minutes, she realized that they were looking at her. "Oh, sorry I was just thinking."

Harry grinned. "See, Hermione is so excited for school that she can't stop thinking about it." he said with a laugh.

"Well, that doesn't prove anything. Hermione is always thinking about school." Ron said laughing. Hermione grinned and threw a few strands of grass at him. "Ha! You missed."

**Sorry gotta stop here hope you liked it! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay! Chapter 2! Sorry for the long wait, I got really, really sick. But now I'm better (somewhat)! So the first thing I did when I got better, was type up chapter two. See, I do care about you all. Anyways, lets get on with the story.**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 2- The Heads **

Draco sat in his compartment, listening to the sound of the train clattering on its tracks. He was half-engrossed in a book he had bought a couple days ago, when he heard the familiar voice of Blaise Zabini. Blaise sat down across from him.

"Hey mate. What're you up to?" he asked with a smile. Draco returned the smile. Just seeing Blaise made him think that everything was going to be normal.

"Just reading." he said. "I'll probably have to go to the prefects' compartment in a minute." he added

"Bummer. Do you know who's Head Girl?" Blaise asked. Malfoy had already told his friends that he had acquired the position of Head Boy. It had not come as a surprise to them; they were all expecting it.

"No, you?" Draco answered. Blaise gave an evil grin. "Granger." Malfoy's eyes widened. Oh, no this couldn't be happening. How was he to spend an entire year with the girl he loved to torment? Was he _ever _going to get a brake?! There must have been a mistake.

"You're kidding!" Draco said. Blaise shook his head.

"Sorry mate." he said. "Well you should've known, I mean, all the teachers adore her. She's like a freaking drug to them, no one can resist adorable, know-it-all Granger." Blaise said coldly. He was trying to comfort Draco, which turned out to be a fruitless attempt.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Malfoy replied sullenly. He wasn't looking forward to living with Hermione Granger. In fact, he wanted to avoid the situation as much as possible. He didn't want to be anywhere near her. Yes, he had changed throughout the past year. Yes, he realized that Granger and her friends were close friends of Lisa. Yes, he had helped them defeat Voldemort. Yes, he actually cooperated with them and resisted making fun of them. _Yes,_ he had saved their lives at one point. But that wasn't enough for him, Draco Malfoy, to _want _to be nice to Potty, Weasel, and Granger.

"Oh well, just avoid her and if she gets in your way, make her cry." Blaise said. Draco chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Pansy Parkinson's voice was unusually pleasant to the ear.

"Nothing, just laughing at Granger's expense." Blaise replied as Pansy took a seat next to Malfoy. "How were your summers?" she asked casually.

Blaise let out a heart felt laugh. "Interesting question, considering that you were with us for most of the summer." he said.

"Well, naturally, I mean after that." She said matter-of-factly.

"Gloomy. I can't stand being away from you!" Blaise said dramatically.

Pansy snorted. "That's quite flattering." she said sarcastically. "What about you Draco? Did you do anything worth telling?" Pansy had said this in a kind voice. Ever since Lisa died (A/N- yes this story has a lot to do with Lisa, even though she's dead), Pansy had turned sympathetic. No one even knew she could be kind or fun or caring. She had made a complete turn-around. Blaise did the same. He would watch what he said around Malfoy and made sure that nothing offended him. The two of them were concerned for him and they hated seeing him so upset. In short, they had become his closest friends.

"No, not really." Draco said in a slightly bored tone. "Oh, I forgot to tell you something." he added. "You know my cousin, Gwyn?" he asked.

Just then, the compartment door slid open and there stood the slender body Draco Malfoy recognized as Gwyn's. Her elegant features were illuminated by the light that seeped through the window; showing her beauty to an extent none could match. Her delicate blue eyes scanned the small room with disappointment. She was obviously looking for someone who happened to be somewhere else.

_How the hell does she always pop up whenever I'm talking about her?! _Draco thought.

"Draco, have you seen Spencer?" she asked. Malfoy shook his head.

"You're coming to Hogwarts?" Blaise asked looking surprised.

Gwyn nodded her head. "Yup." An odd grin came across her face and she looked at Malfoy. "Draco!" she exclaimed in a songlike voice.

Malfoy's eyes widened. _Oh, God! What does she want?! _Gwyn's smile grew. "Do you know who the Head Girl is?" she asked. _Of course, she wants to personally see to it that my day is dampened with the thought of living with one of my most hated enemies. I should've guessed that. _

_Hermione _

"Finally, we're on our way to normalcy!" Ron exclaimed as he threw himself into his seat.

"I know what you mean." Harry agreed. "This whole summer has been…odd."

"Yeah, everything seemed out of place with Malfoy helping us and all." Ron added.

Hermione winced at the mention of Malfoy and his "good intensions". It scared her to even think that he would want to help them. He had confused everyone when he risked his life to save theirs. He had even killed two death eaters so that it wouldn't blow his cover. She remembered the looks Harry and Ron had when Malfoy suddenly turned on his companions. More importantly, she remembered what he had risked to do such a thing.

_Flashback _

Harry held the newly found Horcrux in his hand as he and his friends ran down a dark hall. "How are we going to get past the death eaters?" Ron whispered as they ran.

"He has a point Harry. It was a miracle to get passed them on the way in here." At that Harry stopped, breathing heavily. He scanned the area around them.

"Maybe we could do what we did to get in here." he said without hope.

"Harry, I seriously doubt that." Hermione said with urgency in her voice and dread in her eyes. She was looking down the hall at two death eater that had just noticed them. Harry and Ron turned to look. "We'd better run." she added as the three of them dashed down the corridor.

Each hall opened up into another, causing the three friends to lose track of where they were and where they wanted to be. Finally, they came to a dead end.

"Oh shoot." Ron said. "Maybe we should knock down the wall."

"Ron, that's too drastic. What if there are more death eaters on the other side of this?" Hermione said.

"It's worth a try." Ron said determined.

"Yeah right, and risk getting killed?!" Hermione retorted.

"Enough bickering! We have to find a way out of here before…" but Harry stopped mid sentence when the two death eaters caught up with them.

The two men inched forward with their wands out. One was extremely tall while the other was awkwardly short but they were both portly. Both wore cryptic masks to hide their stout faces.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The tall one asked. His wicked voice sent shivers down Hermione's back.

A malicious grin spread across the short one's face. "I think we have some intruders who need to be _handled._" He pointed his wand at Harry. "Oo, goodie! We've just captured the one wanted by the Dark Lord! How happy do you think he will be?"

"What the hell are the two of you morons up to now?!" came a surprisingly familiar voice. There, at the other end of the hall stood Draco Malfoy. He strode up to the two death eaters.

"We've just found these intruders." the tall one said, gesturing toward Harry Hermoine and Ron. "What do you think we should do with them?"

"I say we torture them until insanity." said the short one.

"Oh really, Ollie? And what do you think the Dark Lord would say when he goes to torture Harry Potter?" Malfoy sneered. The one called Ollie pondered on that statement. "You would have to be a complete imbecile if you even dared to do such a thing."

"Well then can I just hit 'em with one spell. I've been working on it since I found out a about it." The tall one said. Malfoy looked at him with cold eyes. He laughed and said: "Be my guest! But don't mention me when Voldemort finds out." the tall man laugh and pointed his wand at the three scared intruders.

Harry looked at Malfoy wide eyed. _Is he really going to let them kill us?_ He backed up with Ron and Hermione.

The spell was at the tip of the man's tongue. Malfoy looked at his former rival with an evil grin. Harry Ron and Hermione stood scared to move. Then, Harry gathered his courage and raised his own wand. In a second he had shouted his spell that sent the tall man flying into the wall.

Angry, the shorter man, Ollie, spat out his spell. It was no ordinary spell; it was something deadly. "Silentium Mortis" he shouted. (A/N- Ha! I made that up, that took me a bit of time, i not even sure if it's right but lets go with it.) Malfoy's eyes widened and he jumped in front of Ollie just in time. The spell hit him and blood splattered from his left arm as if it had blown up from the inside. Malfoy sank to his knees.

"You fool! You will kill them and upset the Dark Lord!" Malfoy said masking his pain with anger.

Ollie stepped back in shock. "Draco! I am so sorry I… I didn't mean to…" He was cut off. Malfoy had raised his right hand and made a strange motion causing the man's immediate death. He did the same for the taller one.

Climbing to his feet, Malfoy turned to Harry and the others. "Move, we don't have much time." Scared and confused, they did as they were told. With his good arm, Malfoy touched the wall and whispered something. He stepped back and the wall collapsed. "Come on, before anyone notices." Again, they did as they were told.

The four rushed along in the darkness. When they finally stopped, Ron had broken the unbearable silence. "How…how the hell did you do that?! And why!" he said.

Malfoy looked at him expressionless. "Wandless magic. 'Why' I did it should not matter; as long as it was done. Your lives are saved, be happy." he said.

"Where are you taking us?" Hermione asked.

Again Malfoy looked at them without expression. "I am not leading you into a trap if that's what you think." he said. "I must go to someone to see to this injury. I believe you will be safe there as well." he said.

"What exactly did he do to you?" Hermione asked.

"He injected a poison into my arm. It will travel through my body over time. There are no visible effects until it is too late. There is a cure but it must be given in the proper time or it will not work. There is only one place to find the cure and that is where we are going. I have family there and they will keep you safe." Malfoy said. He saw the look on Ron's face so he added: "Don't worry, they're nothing like the rest of my family. They don't hold grudges against people who have not really done them wrong and they are kind."

Harry looked at Malfoy. "Why would you care about our safety?"

"Like I said, 'Why' should not matter, as long as proper measures are taken."

_Reality _

"Hermione!" Ron said. His voice broke into her thoughts and she was brought back to reality with a jolt.

"Oh, sorry." she said, smiling weakly.

"Are you okay? You've been a bit spacey." Harry asked concerned.

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine, just kind of tired. Recent memories keep playing in my head; it makes me a bit wary." she said. Harry and Ron nodded understandingly.

"We know what you mean." Harry said. Ron nodded knowingly.

Hermione smiled, she was truly grateful for friends such as them. "Well, I have to head to the Prefects' cabin. Ron, you coming?" she said getting up.

"In a minute, you can go on without me." he assured. Hermione shrugged and walked out. Knowing that Malfoy had probably forgotten his duties already, she decided to fetch him from his compartment.

Hermione searched almost fifty compartments before she found the one Malfoy was in. She barely noticed who was in it because a fairly tall and slender girl was standing in the doorway.

Hermione cleared her throat. "You should be sitting down _in _a compartment. Please do not neglect to follow rules." Though she did not recognize the girl as someone from Hogwarts, she still had a faint feeling that she knew her. Her long, overly blonde hair was pulled back into a silky ponytail. Her body seemed petite yet strong. She turned around to face Hermione.

Now, she seemed very familiar. Her blue eyes examined Hermione with vague interest through her loose strands of hair. A smile appeared on her face.

"Why hello Hermione!" she exclaimed. "We were just speaking of you." With sudden awareness, Hermione realized who was standing in front of her.

"Gwyn! I had no idea you were coming to Hogwarts." she said

"I bet you're looking for Draco, he's right there." Gwyn moved out of the doorway. Sure enough, there was Draco Malfoy sitting with Blaise and Pansy. "but before you go on your journey… Do you know where Spencer is?" Gwyn asked.

"Last time I saw him, he was by the food trolley, bothering that poor woman." Hermione said with a frown.

"Oh, thanks." she said before dashing off.

Hermione turned to Draco. "Malfoy, we have to go to the…" He got up and walked past her without a word. Blaise and Pansy chuckled over a whispered joke. Hermione shot a glare at them but only succeeded in making them laugh louder and harder.

"Come on." Malfoy said irritated. She looked at him but said nothing and followed.

When they reached the prefects' cabin, Professor McGonagall was there waiting for them.

"Oh, good, you're both here." she said rushing over to them. "I need you two just to walk around and make sure all prefects are doing their duties and that all students are not breaking rules. When we arrive at the castle, I need you two to make sure no first year wanders in the wrong direction and if Hagrid needs any help, please help him out." She looked at them, waiting for an answer.

They both nodded. "Good, now if you excuse me." With that she hurried off.

"I guess we could split up." Hermione said. Malfoy nodded. "But we should probably change to our school robes." she added as the two of them split up.

Hermione found her job abnormally tedious. Nothing was out of place and no one was doing anything wrong. There was not even a report of someone torturing a first year. _Creepy, really, really creepy. _she thought.

Then, she heard a tiny vioce and someone was lightly pulling on her robes. Hermione turned to see a very short little girl. She was no shorter than four feet but no taller than four foot six. She had long blonde hair that resembled Gwyn's in both color and condition. (A/n- I couldn't think of a better word to express that it was just as silky and straight.) Her glassy blue eyes peeked through her blonde bangs. The girl was irresistably cute.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" Hermione asked squatting down so that she and the girl were eye to eye.

"I was wondering..." her small voice tailed off as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I was wondering if you could tell me where to change into my uniform." she said finally. Hermione smiled at her.

"Yes I can. Would you like me to show you?" she asked. The girl nodded. "What's your name?" Hermione asked as she guided the little girl.

"Payedon." she answered.

"That's a pretty name." Hermione said wondering how old Payedon was.

"My sister's is prettier. I admire her and her name." Payedon said.

"Well, here we are. You can just change and go back to you compartment." Hermione said.

"Thank you!" Payedon said and rushed off into the bathroom. Hermione laughed to herself. _Ron is right, these first years are getting smaller. _

Once they reached Hogwarts, Hermione and Draco did as they were told and escorted any lost first years to Hagrid. Most of them weren't really lost, they were just scared of the giant. They helped Hagrid out but then followed their fellow students to the Great Hall.

At the entrance of the great hall, they parted and sat with their separate friends. Hermione rushed over to Ron and Harry.

"Hey." she said to them. The two smiled in reply. "Sorting is just about to begin." Harry said. The new first years came out in the usual line.

"I seriously think the first years shrink themselves." Ron said. Harry grinned.

"Really Ron and why would you say that?" Hermione asked with a laugh.

"Oh come on! Look at them, they're like dwarves." Ron said. Almost everyone at the Gryffindor table laughed.

They were soon quieted, realizing that the sorting had already began. They were now calling up the smallest first year, Payedon Malfoy.

**Okay, again, sorry for the long wait! Isn't that an interesting ending? It took me forever to find out how to end it cause before it just went on and on and on. Please read and review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Another chapter FINALLY complete! I'm so sorry for these long waits but I keep getting these 10 page projects that require my full attention. I now have a six page project on GLOBAL WARMING cause my science teacher is obsessed with it. He talks about it in EVERY class. Well anyway, I thought I'd type up another chapter before I start this newfound project of mine. So please enjoy!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 3- Hogwarts Oddity **

The announcement of a third Malfoy had sparked a nerve. Every student whispered as they watched the small girl walk up to Professor McGonagall. She sat down with a muffled thud and waited to be sorted.

The sorting hat sat on her head for what seemed like an hour. Finally, it had decided. Everyone waited for the hat to proclaim a new Slytherin. "Gryffindor!" the hat shouted.

The entire Great Hall was silent with shock. A Malfoy in Gryffindor? Now the world had turned upside down.

The silence was broken by the clapping of Draco and Gwyn. Blaise and Pansy quickly followed along with the rest of the Slytherin table. The Gryffindors took no time to follow suit. Though they were the most confused, they also had the loudest cheers.

By the time the sorting was complete, everyone was eager to discuss the newest oddity in Hogwarts.

"I don't get it." Ron said as he piled his plate high with food. "A Malfoy in Gryffindor is like…like…" he paused, unable to think of a perfect analogy. "It's just unheard of!" he said finally.

"Even Gwyn made it to Slytherin." Harry added in agreement.

"Yes but Gwyn can be just as nasty as, if not nastier then, Malfoy." Hermione reminded them. "This little girl could be a nice Malfoy."

Ron snorted. "Yeah, a nice Malfoy, that'll be the day." Both Harry and Hermione couldn't help but chuckle.

After dinner, Hermione and Malfoy gave out their orders to the prefects and helped in escorting the first years to their different houses.

Hermione watched as Malfoy made his way to the Gryffindor first years, all of whom were unaware that he was a sworn enemy to all Gryffindors.

He squatted, just as Hermione had earlier, in front of Payedon Malfoy. She threw her small arms around his neck and he hugged her back. When she let go, they were both smiling.

_Malfoy smiles?! _Hermione thought. Yes, Draco Malfoy was smiling, not smirking or sneering, smiling. _I didn't know he was capable of smiling. Or any other sign of affection, for that matter. _

"Do you think I'll be alright in Gryffindor." Payedon asked Draco. His smile grew wider.

"Of course you will." he said. Then, pulling her closer he whispered: "If anyone gives you a hard time you can just hex them with some complicated spell that they'll never be able to remember." She grinned at him. Louder, he said: "And if that doesn't work, you can just call me and I'll be more than happy to beat the living shit out of them."

She laughed and he stood up to his full height. "Well I have other work to do so I'll talk to you later." he said.

"Okay, Bye Draco." She flashed him one last grin and dashed off to catch up with her new friends.

"Is she your sister?" Hermione asked doubtfully. Malfoy looked at her.

Shaking his head, he said: "No, Payedon is Gwyn's little sister." He walked past her. "I have things to do elsewhere so if you'll excuse me." He walked down the hall, leaving Hermione there by herself.

_Well that explains it! _Hermione thought satisfied. _I was beginning to wonder why she looked more like Gwyn than she did Malfoy. _

She shrugged and walked to the corridor where her and Malfoy's dorm was located. She slowly approached the painting that concealed the entrance to their room. She hesitated before saying the password.

"Purple Monkeys." Hermione said and the painting swung open. She walked in, amazed at how decorative the entire place was, and headed to bed.

_Draco _

Draco Malfoy walked toward the Slytherin Common room. Since he was Head Boy, he had the passwords and locations of all the houses, talk about temptation. He had to resist the urge to allow his Slytherin friends to vandalize the Gryffindor dorms. Other than that, it was a pretty interesting privilege.

As he approached the painting the disguised the Slytherin common room, he heard his name being called. He turned to face the source and found himself face to face with Pansy Parkinson.

"Oh hey." he said.

"What are you doing down here? I thought you'd be checking out your new dorm." she said confused.

"Ah, well I decided to see how you guys were doing." Draco replied. Pansy rolled her eyes.

"Liar. You wanted to make sure Blaise doesn't make a complete fool of himself." she said with a slight smile.

Draco's eyebrows met in a frown. "And why would he be making a fool of himself?" he asked trying to conceal the fact that he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Because he has a huge crush on your cousin." Pansy said, not fooled by Malfoy's innocent act.

"What cousin?" Draco asked smiling. Pansy whacked him with a book she was holding. "Oww, what was that for?" he asked still smiling.

"For being annoying." she said smiling just as much as he was. "Anyway, you know he'll probably make a absolute fool of himself trying to…" she raised her first two fingers (excluding the thumb) on each hand to represent quotations. " 'win her heart' as he says." she let her arms fall to her sides and rolled her eyes. "He has problems."

"And you are just realizing this now?" Draco said raising his eyebrows. Pansy let out a laugh.

"You're right, it's been pretty obvious that he has problems." she said as the two of them entered the Slytherin common room.

**Sorry this is so short but I have to rush cause I also have a Theology project on none other than the oh so popular MODESTY. Now that should be fun. (this is what I get for going to a Catholic school) So pleeeeeaaaaaasssssseeee review cause I don't have any and I'm starting to thing I'm rushing for nothing, I would cry but I have no time. PLEASE REVIEW and don't worry, I will try to update sooner. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay! Guess whose done most of her projects! Yeah you guessed it, ME ME ME! All I have left is a Latin project but that should be easy. (yes I take Latin and I encourage all to do the same) I know it's taking me long time but I have like no time on my hands. (I'm surprised I had time for this chapter) ENJOY!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 4- Prefect Partners **

Hermione hopped every other stair to gain speed, almost tripping as she did so. Somehow she had waken up late, something that happened once in a blue moon. She ran faster until she reached the door to the Great Hall.

Breakfast had started almost an hour ago. She was so late. She had fumed that Malfoy hadn't even thought about waking her up. Why would he? He was Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince. He didn't care about anyone but himself.

Hermione rushed toward Harry and Ron, hoping they had saved her something to eat. To her delight, they had.

"Where were you?" Harry asked frowning.

"Yeah we were getting kinda worried, you're never late." Ron added.

"Over slept." Hermione said briskly as she sat down and started to devour her food.

Ron's eyes grew wide. "Since when do you over sleep?" he asked incredulously.

"Never, but I just didn't wake up. I don't know why." she said, still eating hurriedly.

"Don't worry about it. You were probably just really tired." Harry offered.

"Yeah, it's not like you missed class, it's just weird. I doubt it will happen again, knowing you." Ron said. Hermione smiled at him. "So what do you think?" Ron asked

"About what?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"About this whole Malfoy in Gryffindor thing." he said.

"Well she hasn't tried to hex anyone if that's what you're asking." Harry said.

"There's a start." Hermione said. "Apparently, she's Malfoy's cousin, Gwyn's sister." she added. "He told me yesterday."

"That might explain why she doesn't seem interested in killing Harry." Ron said.

"Why would that explain that?" Harry asked frowning.

"Because she doesn't have Lucius Malfoy telling her to hate you." Ron said matter-of-factly.

"Oh really?" Hermione said.

"Really." Ron smiled.

"Right Ron, whatever you say." Harry said grinning.

"What?!" Ron exclaimed. Harry and Hermione grinned at each other.

"Nothing." they said together but Ron didn't buy it.

"What?" he asked again. The other two said nothing. "Oh come on!" he exclaimed.

Harry and Hermione stood up together and Ron followed. "Come on, what is it?" he asked again. Harry smiled and followed Hermione out of the almost completely empty Great Hall.

_Draco _

Draco sat with Blaise, Pansy, and Gwyn eating his breakfast. He wasn't all that hungry so he was just sitting there taking small bites of toast, half listening to their conversation, half daydreaming. It was getting pretty late and students were gradually departing from their food.

For a minute, Draco felt bad about not waking up Hermione; that feeling soon disappeared when she rushed in and sat with he friends. He had actually thought about waking her up when he got up at 7:30 but didn't feel like taking the time out to walk across the hall and actually go into Granger's room, which, in his opinion, would have been an unpleasant event that he could live without. Now it was almost 8:20 and classes started in ten minutes (A/n- not sure when their classes actually start so I kind of just made it up. If anyone knows and feel that they should tell me, I'll change it for them.).

"Oi!" exclaimed a voice Draco vaguely recognized. He turned to see Spencer O'Reilly grinning broadly at him. His chin length brown hair fell over his sea green eyes, as usual. He was just as tall as, maybe taller than, Draco himself and probably equally muscular.

"Hey." Draco replied with a weak smile. Spencer frowned.

"What's with you mate?" he asked in his deep Scottish accent. (A/n- I really don't feel like taking the time to spell it the way it would sound so please pretend.)

"Nothing really." Draco replied trying to give him a reassuring look. The truth was, he was feeling a bit sick. He had no idea why and didn't think it was serious enough to tell anyone.

"You sure?" Spencer insisted. Now, everyone else was looking at him. This was the time when Draco wished that Spencer and Gwyn weren't dating. Gwyn is already an infectious person but now Spencer had developed her tendency to care too much about the smallest things. Next, he'll pick up Gwyn's sudden attitude changes. _That should be fun. _Draco thought.

"Yeah, just a bit tired." this time Draco managed a convincing smile.

"Oh, good!" Spencer said and sat down. _That was easy. _Draco thought raising his eyebrows. "How's everyone on this lovely day?" he asked casually.

"Fine, we're all fine." Blaise said irritably. Pansy grinned. It looked like Blaise was getting testy. Spencer just raised his eyebrows and pretended to ignore the tone in Blaise's voice.

"Well we should start heading off to class." Pansy said standing up. The others followed suit with Draco trailing behind. When they reached the doors, Pansy fell back and walked along with him. "What's up?" she asked.

Draco looked at her for a bit more than a minute. "I don't know." he said honestly.

"If you did, would you tell me?" she asked him. Her dark eyes bore into his grey ones.

"Yeah I would." he said finally. He really meant it too. Pansy was different now that they had gone through torture together. He managed his famously _sexy_, as the girls called it, grin. Pansy could help but smile.

Classes droned on and on until finally, it was the end of the day.

"Yay! Prefect duties." Pansy said with false excitement.

Blaise grinned. He had actually been looking forward to prefect duties. They were supposed to be paired off in different sections of the school. Why? He didn't know, nor did he really care. All he cared about was catching that stupid kid Spencer and Gwyn out when they weren't supposed to be.

"Blaise! You blithering idiot!" Pansy yelled.

Blaise looked at her in shock. What was she talking about? Then he noticed that while he was thinking, he was not paying attention to what he was doing. He had poured hot tea all over her and it was still steaming. _Whoa! that must hurt. _he thought.

"Blaise pull yourself out of Lala land and focus on what you're doing!" Pansy said angrily. She pulled out her wand and the steam rising from her bare leg disappeared, leaving a large red mark.

"Sorry." Blaise said sheepishly. Pansy rolled her eyes.

"Come on." she said, leading him out of the Great Hall. They couldn't be late for the prefects meeting.

Draco looked at Pansy. She seemed to be mad about something. Blaise looked as if he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. "What's with you two?" he asked.

Pansy shook her head. "nothing really." she said. Draco was not convinced. Blaise ignored the question and started daydreaming. Probably about Gwyn. Draco reluctantly left it at that. (though he was slightly happy to avoid another headache.)

When everyone was settled, the meeting started. They talked about rules, posts, and obligations. Finally, they started on the topic everyone wanted to hear about. The new system of vigilance. Everyone was to be paired off with someone and each pair would be assigned an area to keep an eye on. Everyone wanted to know who they would be partnered with.

"Alright, Dumbledore has given us a list of who is to be paired with whom." Draco said firmly. He motioned for Hermione to give him the paper. She had been looking at it intently. "Okay, here we go…" Draco said.

Name after name went by. Draco started with the fourth years who were recently given the privilege to become prefects. He was finally at the seventh years. He went through names until Pansy heard her own name called.

"Pansy Parkinson and-" Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "And Ron Weasley." He grinned slightly. _This is going to be one interesting year!_ he thought comically.

**Gotta stop there. hope you liked. PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEE review. It will help my self esteem (even if it is criticism- just not bluntly tackless or anything). Tell me what you think, do you like it? what ? you can even give me ideas. I'm open to any. just pleeeaaaassse review with something. I feel so desperate. I know my other story sucked and I kinda forgot why I wrote it so that didn't help. Now I'd like to know how I'm doing on this one. well anyway, that's all for today. I'll try to update soon. Peace out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! I'm done all of my projects! Thank God! But I'm going to D.C. this weekend and then I have a school concert Sunday so I decided to finish this chapter before all hell brakes loose. Enjoy!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 5- Ron and…Pansy?**

Pansy glared from Draco to Ron. Why was Draco doing this to her? He knew she couldn't stand even _looking_ at Weasley. She looked at Ron again, giving him another strong glare. This time, he glared back. Ugh, she hated him with a burning passion. _Great, I'm stuck partnered with Weasley for the rest of the year. _She thought crossly.

"Alright, that's it." Draco finished the list. "You and your partners will be working together for the entire year." His gaze lingered on Pansy.

She gave him the fiercest glare she could muster. He returned it with a somewhat sympathetic look and her gaze softened. How could she be mad at him, it wasn't his fault. Dumbledore was the one who formed the list. Pansy sighed and allowed her glare falter completely. Draco smiled in acknowledgement of her softened features. She returned his smile.

"Now these are your areas to cover." he handed out papers to each pair.

"Okay, now that you all know what to do, this meeting is adjourned." Hermione said. She and Draco had been paired up, of course. "We might actually catch the end of dinner." There was the scraping sound of chairs as everyone got up. Everyone rushed to get to the Great Hall despite the fact that they all ate during the meeting.

"I am going to _kill _that old crock." Pansy seethed. Draco grinned. He found this absolutely hilarious.

"It's not that bad." Draco said. "At least it's not Granger." he added for comfort.

Pansy scolded. "Yeah but it's still bad." she said. Then she realized that Draco had it worst that she did. "Oh I'm sorry Draco, I just don't like the Weasel." she smiled at him and he grinned.

_Hermione_

"I can't believe I'm stuck with Pansy as a partner." Ron fumed.

Hermione grinned, this was going to be an interesting year. "At least it's not Malfoy." she said for comfort. (A/n- sound like anyone you know?)

Ron grimaced. "But I don't like Pansy." he whined. Then he looked at Hermione. "Oh, you got stuck with Malfoy, right? Sorry, you do have it worse." he said. Hermione smiled.

"It's okay just stop whining." she thought for a minute. "Did you realize that Malfoy seems a bit… I don't know, distant?" she asked looking at Ron.

His eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I guess you wouldn't notice, would you?" she said. The two of them walked into the Great Hall and headed toward Harry.

He looked up at them. "How'd it go?" he asked. Ron grumbled.

"He got paired up with Pansy." Hermione informed. Harry spit out his pumpkin juice.

"What?" he asked.

"Ron and Pansy are paired together for prefect duties for the whole year." she said. Harry looked at Ron sympathetically.

"Well, we're going to have go in like 2 minutes." Ron grumbled sulkily. He was right about that. In less than two minutes, they were heading back out of the Great Hall.

The three of them separated: Harry headed to the common room, Ron went to look for Pansy, and Hermione started her search for Malfoy.

She found him on the second floor where their post was.

"Where have you been?" he asked not unkindly.

"I had some stuff to do." she said almost whispering.

"Oh." Malfoy said and stared off into the distance. Malfoy seemed get weirder and weirder every time she saw him. He seemed distracted, almost…depressed. She quickly shook the thought out of her head.

"I don't see why we're posted on this floor, nothing ever happens here." Malfoy said breaking the awkward silence. He was right, nothing **EVER **happened on the second floor. Nevertheless, she kept her eyes wide open and wondered how Ron was doing.

_Ron & Pansy _

Ron Weasley Fumed as he walked the stairs to the fifth floor. Why did Dumbledore want to torture him? Didn't he help save the world? This was no way to treat a hero, or semi hero.

Ron was too busy pitying himself to realize who he had just bumped into. He looked up from the ground to apologize but stopped. Why did Pansy's eyes seem so mesmerizing?

"What are you staring at?" she asked. He didn't realize he was staring at her so he immediately stopped.

"Nothing special, that's for sure." he replied. Her eyes narrowed, extinguishing all of the feelings they had just given him.

"I have this all planned out." Pansy said forcefully. "You will watch over that end of the hall. That way, I don't have to look at your ugly freckled face." She sneered.

Ron glared at her but he secretly agreed with her, he would rather be as far away from Pansy Parkinson as he could be. But he couldn't help wondering about the odd sensation he got when he looked at her. She didn't look all that different. She was basically the same height as before, maybe a bit taller. And…_Wait a minute! Where'd she get that body?!_ True enough, Pansy's figure had improved just as much as Hermione's did. Her hair was longer, her looked softer, and her eyes were an amazing brown color; she herself just looked kinder and beautiful. Ron snapped himself back to life and grimaced. What was he thinking?

Pansy looked at Ron. Why was he staring at her before? Why did he look so…handsome? _What the __**hell **__am I thinking?_ But she couldn't help thinking that Ron liked her, that she might even like him back.

_11:30 PM_

"How'd it go?" Harry asked Ron when he walked into the dorm. Ron grumbled something he couldn't hear. "What was that?" he asked.

"I hate my life." Ron said louder. Harry smiled slightly.

"Why do you say that?' he asked. Ron gave him a stare that clearly said: "If you don't stop asking questions, I while personally rip your spine out and beat you with it!" Despite this stare, Harry continued. "Oh couldn't have been _that_ bad." He said.

"You're kidding me, right?" Ron asked. Harry grinned.

"No, I'm not. Maybe we should at least try to get along with the Slytherins." he said. "You know since this is our last year; we don't want to get into the fights we used to." Ron looked at Harry unbelievingly. _What a crock! _Harry laughed and Ron laughed with him.

"That was a good one mate." He said still laughing.

"I know, you should of seen your face!" He laughed and they both climbed into their beds to sleep. "Night."

"Night." Ron said but he didn't go to sleep. He lay awaked thinking about how gorgeous Pansy had gotten. Did anyone else notice it? Or had he been oblivious to it all these years? Was he falling in love with Pansy?

**Hope you liked! PLEEEAAASSSEEE review! It'll be fun, you just click the button and you say really nice stuff about my story or ideas or criticism (ugh, but I'll accept it, good or bad). And then, when I get your review, I get all happy and dance and send you comments because of my happiness. So don't be shy and REVIEW! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, sorry for the long wait, my computer was down and then when the computer was fixed, the internet wasn't working. Now I'm way behind and I feel horrible. I'm sooooo sorry about this wait. Another reason I haven't been able to update was cause I had no time. My teachers are giving me loads of homework, my sister was really sick and my mom "forgot" to tell me (love you no matter what), my friend is making a new story and she wanted me to read it before she posted it (when she posts, I'll tell you- I highly recommend that you read it)…so yeah now that I have bored you to death with me meaningless rant…**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 6- Unpredictable **

The rest of the week went on in a blur for Hermione. She went to class, did her post and went to sleep. By Saturday, she was pretty tired of the normalcy she had wished for. She had gotten so used to not being able to predict her life and now she missed it. She longed for something spontaneous to happen; something unusual and different. She didn't know what she wanted to happen but that was the point; to not know what would happen next.

Hermione pulled herself out of her all too comfortable bed. She climbed into the shower, turning the water on extra hot, and proceeding to wash her hair in the soothing hot water. After about twenty minutes, she finally decided to get out. She pulled on her bathrobe.

She grabbed her blow-dryer and blow-dried her hair. Once it was dry, she started to straighten it. She had never really tried to straighten her hair before but this was the start of her spontaneous acts. Fortunately, it was one that turned out better than she planned.

While admiring the new look, she was startled by someone pounding on the bathroom door.

"For heaven's sake!" came Malfoy's voice. "Granger, what the hell are you doing in there?!" He yelled.

"Sorry, forgot you needed to use this bathroom." she said chuckling to herself.

She gathered her stuff and opened the door to a half naked Draco. He must have just woken up because he was only wearing boxers, exposing the rest of his body. And what a body! He was amazingly muscled and he had the ideal "Greek god" body.

Hermione stood shocked and in awe. How was that for unpredictable? She had never guessed that Malfoy had _that_ body. No wonder all the Slytherin girls fought over him.

Malfoy also seemed taken aback by Hermione. He had stopped glaring and looked at her in awe. Malfoy was the first to snap out of his "trance". "What were you doing in there, washing a zoo?" he asked slightly annoyed.

"Sorry." Hermione whispered and quickly walked away blushing. Why was she blushing? Maybe because she was just ogling Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince and her worst enemy.

_Draco _

Draco watched as a blush spread across Hermione's cheeks. _Those soft cheeks. _He knocked the thought out. _Why do I suddenly think she's so beautiful? Just yesterday, I was my regular self and now I'm ogling Granger? What's with that? I've got to stop this. _

"What were you doing in there, washing a zoo?" he asked pretending to be annoyed. She mumbled something that sounded like a sorry and ran off. As she past him, the scent of vanilla washed over him and he wanted to follow Hermione down the hall just to keep the smell of her engraved in his nose.

_Was she just looking at me in a…a lustful (if you will) way? _Draco smiled to himself and closed the bathroom door. _There was definitely some lust in there. _He turned on the shower and stripped. _What am I saying? Why am I getting excited over the way Granger looks at me? Yet again, I've got to stop this. _

He climbed into the shower and yelped. The water was freezing cold.

"GRANGER!" he screamed furiously.

_Hermione _

_Why was he looking at me like that? Why was __**I **__looking at him like that? _Hermione sat on the floor in the middle of her room, thinking. _Because, you like him. I mean what's not to like? _a voice deep in her head said. _You're kidding, right? _(A/n- I know that plenty of people make their characters schizophrenic but this will turn out a bit different so hang in there.) _Well, look at it this way: you wanted something spontaneous and different so here you go, _the voice continued.

Hermione rolled her eyes. First, she's ogling Malfoy and now she's hearing voices, again. Definitely different, though the voice was relatively normal (for her). Actually, when she thought about it, the voice had always been there, well since sixth year. It was always there telling her what would be a good idea and when she actually tried the idea, it never failed to be the right thing. Crazy , huh? But it worked for her.

Yet again, the voice was correct. She was looking for something different and this was definitely different. Maybe too different. She shivered at the thought of her and Malfoy dating.

_Now, that is going __**way **__to far. _Hermione dressed quickly and sat on her bed with her new laptop. She pulled out a movie and slid it into the DVD player of the computer. It was one of her favorite love stories about a prince from Denmark who falls in love with a college girl from America.

She was halfway through the movie when there was a knock on her door. She sat her headphones down, paused the movie and walked toward the door.

"What!" she exclaimed opening the door. Malfoy looked at her and she glared back at him. He was paler than usual, and sad looking. Hermione softened her glare and she looked at him sympathetically. Weird.

"Your moron friends are downstairs, they've been waiting for you for forever." he sneered seeing her pity for him. "And if you don't rescue them, I won't be able to keep my friends under control. Actually, I have no desire to so if I were you I'd get my ass down there."

Hermione's sympathy vanished. "Well go ahead and let your friends get their butts kicked. I'm kind of hoping you go down there with them so you can get your own beating. God knows you deserve one." she practically screamed at him. He looked at her, his piercing blue eyes staring into her soft brown ones. _I didn't know he had blue eyes. _

Malfoy took a step toward her. "That what you think Granger?" he asked forcefully. He almost looked hurt.

"Yes, that is what I think." she said ignoring how beautiful his eyes were. He tilted his head to the side, glaring at her.

"Do you even know what a _real _beating is, Granger?" He asked. Disgust covered his hurt.

"What do you mean a _real _beating?" she asked curious now. A vacant expression covered his face. He winced as if someone had stuck a needle in his side. The hurt returned to his face. _What is up with him? _

"It's when you are beaten to a pulp. When you are hurt so bad that you can't bare to move a muscle or you'll have all kinds of pains surging through your entire body. When you can't look at someone because your eyes are bleeding, yes _**bleeding**_. When you can't breathe because your ribs are crushing your lungs. That's what a _real _beating is." He said staring off. Then his tone softened and he asked, "Have you ever had a _real _beating?" Now he was actually staring at her.

She looked up at him. He was gorgeous. _When did he get so hot? _She opened her mouth to say something. _He has always been this gorgeous. _The voice in her head just seemed to pop out of nowhere. Hermione's mouth closed and opened again. What could she say? Obviously, Malfoy had gotten one of those beatings. "No." she said almost silently. She looked at the floor not knowing what else to say.

"Good." He said. "No one so beautiful should be hurt that way."

Hermione looked at him. Did he really just call her beautiful? For some reason, she was moving closer to him. She was so close, she could smell his sweet cologne. What was she doing? He smelled soo good. She stood on her tiptoes, pressed her body against his, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She, Hermione Granger, kissed Draco Malfoy and he kissed her back.

_What am I doing? What in the bloody __**hell **__am I doing? I need to stop, desperately. _She continued to kiss him deeper and deeper, disregarding her frantic thoughts. What surprised her the most was that he kissed her back. He had snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She felt so good in his strong arms, so relaxed and happy. Why would he do that? Why would he kiss back? Why would he hold her? She thought that he would at least try to free himself from her by now not pull her closer.

They walked back still holding each other. Malfoy let loose one hand and closed the door. Hermione pressed his body against the closed door and pressed hers against his. They continued to kiss until they heard footsteps on the stairs. Harry's, Ron's, Blaise's, Pansy's, Gwyn's and Spencer's voices could be heard in the hallway.

Hermione pulled away from Malfoy. She blushed again and looked down at the floor. He slid away from the door less pale than he was when he walked in.

Hermione finally looked up at him. He didn't look furious or angry at all. He looked just as confused as she felt. He wrapped his fingers around the door knob and opened the door. The others weren't all the way up the stairs yet. Draco looked at her with passionate eyes. She wanted to pull him close to her and kiss him again, to feel his touch. She wanted him to hold her.

Malfoy opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. Then he opened it. "I…I…I should…should probably go…go now." he stuttered, still confused about what had just happened. He stumbled out the door and sped down the hallway to his room.

Hermione heard his door slam shut. She backed up and sat on her bed. _Well, now that was definitely spontaneous. _The voice was back again. _Will you shut up for just two minutes! _

_What was I __**thinking?**__ I need some sort of help, professionally. _

" 'Mione?" Ron asked concerned.

"Huh?" she said looking up from the floor. Harry and Ron were both looking at her with worried faces. Gwyn, Spencer, Blaise and Pansy were behind them.

"You okay?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Oh, um yeah. I'm fine." she managed. They didn't look too convinced.

"What did the Malferret do to you?" Ron asked glowing red. Gwyn glared at him.

"As much as I love you all, I don't appreciate you calling my cousin 'Malferret'." Gwyn said. "Even if he deserves it. You are not allowed to say it in front of me."

"Sorry. What did _Malfoy _do to you?" Ron corrected himself.

"Nothing!" Hermione said turning red. Harry looked at her but said nothing.

"Right." Ron said.

"Well, if he did something to her, what is wrong with him?" Pansy sneered at Ron.

"Hermione probably beat him to the punch." Ron said smugly. Pansy rolled her eyes.

"You are such an idiot, a revolting idiot." she said and stalked off to Malfoy's room. Blaise followed.

"Guys, I'd like to finish my movie." Hermione said nodding toward the laptop.

"Sure, c'mon Ron." Harry said and dragged Ron out the room, closing the door behind them.

Hermione sat down on the bed and continued the movie despite the crazed thoughts that flew around her head.

**Okay, I'm utterly sorry for the extremely long wait. I feel terrible. So I'm working on the next chapter A.S.A.P. got it? I'm soooooooooooo sorry, pleeeeaaassseee review. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Aha! Another chapter! I am working myself to death at the moment to finish this story and it hasn't even started really. There is so much I want to put in it but I'm not sure how to incorporate it. Soo, I am asking my friends to help me out (you know who you are) so that I can get this the way I want it for you guys. Kayzees, enjoy! **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 7- Anxiety and Hallucinations **

Snape was only feet away from Draco. He was calm as usual. He showed no remorse of what he did, of how he ruined Draco's life. Nor did he show remorse for how guilty he made Draco feel.

Draco Malfoy clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He wanted to hurt Severus Snape, to kill him. (A/N- please tell me if I spelled Snape's name wrong, I haven't read any of the books since the sixth one came out so I'm kinda off with a bit of the stuff. Just tell me when I get something wrong and I'll change it.)

"Ah, Draco." The Dark Lord gave Draco a smile. "I was just looking for you." Snape raised his head and looked at Draco. "I need you to do something for me." Voldemort continued. "You must become a spy for me. Since Severus has blown his cover trying to save your hide, I have decided to make you take his place to repay him for his kindness."

Draco's fists clenched again and he whitened with hate, it was all he could do to keep from charging at Snape right then and there. _Repay him for his kindness? What kindness? _

Voldemort grinned, seeing the hate on Draco's face. "You are to go to that moron werewolf and ask him for sanctuary. Tell him that you want to get rid of me and that you must do it discreetly to keep from death." He looked down at Draco. "Say that you have much information to give him, on how to defeat me." He looked Draco in the eye. "Do you understand?" Draco nodded. "Good. You are to go tomorrow." He turned on his heel and walked back to his seat. "You may go Draco. Tomorrow, Severus will tell you where to go."

Draco walked away, anger surging through him. He had to repay the one who ruined his life. He had to sit there and control his temper around the man who caused the death of his first real love. Draco was not going to stand for it. He was a Malfoy (regrettably) and he would not be pushed around. He would exact his revenge upon Severus Snape. Oh yes he would.

Darkness.

Draco shot out of bed sweating like crazy. He looked down to see that he was fully clothed. He must have fallen asleep early. He looked at the alarm clock that sat on his bedside table. 2:00 AM. Draco groaned.

He climbed out of bed and stripped to his boxers. _That's better. _He silently slipped out of his room into the darkness of the hallway. Hermione didn't seem to be up yet, so that was a plus for him. He crept down the stairs to the mini kitchen, which wasn't all that small.

Flicking on the lights, he sauntered to the refrigerator. He pulled out the orange juice and opened it. Before his lips touched the opening of the bottle, he heard someone.

"You probably shouldn't drink from the carton." Hermione said walking towards him. For a minute he thought she was going to kiss him again but she opened the cabinet and grabbed two glasses. "Here." she handed one glass to him.

Draco could smell the vanilla scent again. She was definitely close enough for him to smell it. He took the glass and poured the juice into it. Then he poured juice for her as well.

"Thanks." she whispered and walked past him. Their shoulders touched and his body was filled with an odd sensation. Hermione sat at the small table with her glass of orange juice.

"Welcome." Draco mumbled. He looked at her, she didn't look at all phased about the day's earlier events. "What are you doing up so early?" He finally gained enough courage to ask.

"Couldn't sleep." she said simply. Then she looked at him. "You?"

"Oh, um same." he replied sipping from his glass. She took one last swig of the juice and finished it off. Her chair made a scraping sound as she got up. Again, she walked towards him. And again he could smell her sweet odor. Their bodies were inches away.

She reached around him and placed her cup gently in the sink, taking her time to elongate the moment. He breathed in her scent before she stepped away. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her like he did earlier. _Stupid, what is __**wrong **__with you? You don't like Granger!_ He pulled himself back.

She looked at him with large brown eyes. "Night." She turned and headed back to bed. Draco took his glass with him up the stairs. Now, their rooming together was going to be a bit awkward. More so than he thought it would be.

_Why did she kiss me? Why did I kiss her back? Why did I call her beautiful? How corny did I sound? Oh My God! I have only said things that corny in front of Lisa and she thought it was cute. I must have sounded like a complete idiot! I am such an imbecile! I should have pulled back. Why didn't I pull back? Why didn't I stop myself? What is wrong with me? _

Draco climbed back in bed and covered himself with blankets falling asleep almost immediately.

_Hermione_

Hermione sat on her bed thinking.

_Malfoy was acting weird. Damn! This means that it wasn't a dream. Oh God! What was I thinking? No, I wasn't thinking at all. Not one bit of thought was put into that. I acted on a misguided impulse. That's it! Yeah, a misguided impulse! Perfect excuse. _

She slid into the sheets. _If anyone asks, that's what it was. A misguided impulse. _Content with her newfound excuse, Hermione drifted to sleep.

_Draco _

Draco Malfoy woke up sweating again, this time it wasn't because of the clothes he was wearing. He had just had one of those nightmares that pop out of your crazed imagination.

Draco slid out of bed and grabbed the pill bottle from his bedside table. He trudged downstairs to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He tossed the pill in his mouth and took a swig of water to wash it down.

"What are those for?" Hermione asked. Draco almost jumped from surprise. _When did she get here? _

"Anxiety." He said simply.

She tilted her head in confusion. Draco thought she was going to ask another question but she silently nodded her head and finished eating her bagel.

Draco wanted to say something but didn't. Hermione finished her breakfast and got up to leave. Was she mad at him for something? If she was, surely he didn't care.

As Hermione walked away, Draco thought he saw Lisa walking away. He felt his eyes widening. He had to do something. How could he let Lisa leave him? Again.

"Wait!" he called after her. He could feel the shakiness in his voice. Lisa turned and smiled at him. The same smile that made him fall in love with her, that could make _anyone _fall in love with her. He smiled at her, eyes glistening with hot tears that form in his eyes. He hadn't seen her for so long. He looked away to see if Hermione was witnessing the same thing he was. She was no where to be seen. When he looked back at Lisa, she wasn't there. He saw only Hermione's confused face.

"Are you feeling alright, Draco?" she asked.

Draco's mouth dropped and he backed up until he hit the counter. _What the __**hell **__is going on? _He gripped the counter so hard that his knuckles turned white. He looked down to shake off the vision of Lisa out of his mind.

Hermione stepped closer to him. "Draco?" she said. _She's using my first name. Why is she using my first name. She always calls me Malfoy. Why is she changing now? _"Draco." she looked at his face, his pale face. She was so close to him. He could smell her sweet scent of vanilla. Lisa used to smell like butter-cream icing. He never knew why but it smelled good, like cake. But when they went out together, she had this perfume that made him go crazy. (A/N- kind of like when there is cake in front of you but you know you can't eat it. The smell gets to you and you just have to take a bite.)

Draco felt her hand gently touch his shoulder and excitement filled his body but his fear of hallucination shoved it down. He wanted to touch her in some way but he was too confused. It wasn't Hermione that he wanted to touch it was Lisa.

"Draco, what's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked and he looked at her. Her body heat jumped from her to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he finally said. She lifted her hand and backed up.

"I almost thought you were choking or something." she said relieved.

_Yeah, I was choking on my sanity. But I think it's gone now. _"No, I'm okay, just anxiety, heh, ironic." he managed a weak grin.

"Oh." she walked toward the doorway. "Well, I'm going to go find Harry." she left without waiting for a response.

"Cause I care soo much." he mumbled sarcastically.

_Hermione_

Hermione woke up at ten o'clock, eight hours since she was last up. She dressed quickly and headed to the kitchen. Malfoy was already there about to take some kind of pill. She grabbed a bagel. "What are those for?" she asked.

"Anxiety." he said simply. _Since when did he have anxiety? _She tilted her head ready to say something but she just nodded and continued to eat. Once finished, she got up and started to walk to the doorway but was stopped when Malfoy said something. "Wait!" he called in a shaky voice.

Hermione turned to face him. He was paler than usual and sickly looking. His eyes were glistening with tears and he smiled at her. It wasn't just a smile, it had love in it. Suddenly, he looked away as if looking for someone or something. When he looked back at her, he looked like a deer in headlights.

"Are you feeling alright, Draco?" she asked. She watched as his mouth dropped and he backed up into the counter. His knuckles turned white as he held on to the counter.

She stepped closer to him. Now they were so close that she could feel his body heat. "Draco?" she said. She peered into his face. It was pale and scared looking. Hermione wanted to pull him into a hug but she settled on touching him gently on the shoulder. As she did so, a tingling feeling shot up through her arm to the rest of her body.

"Draco what's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked and he looked at her. The same tingle went through her body again.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he finally said. Hermione almost let out a huge sigh but decided to force herself to breathe it out regularly. She lifted her hand and backed up. "I almost thought you were choking or something." she said unable to keep from sounding relieved.

"No, I'm okay, just anxiety, heh, ironic." he managed a grin.

"Oh." she walked toward the doorway. "Well I'm going to go find Harry." Then she sped out of the dorm entirely too quickly. Once out, she let out the huge sigh she had been holding in.Then she went on her journey to find Harry.

Hermione found Harry in the oddest place, the library. "Hey. What are you doing in here?" she asked. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Studying." he replied. Hermione's eyes widened. "You are studying?"

"Yes, I've got nothing better to do." Harry said.

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong." she said with a sly smile.

"Oh really?" he said.

"Yes, you must help me find Ginny." Hermione said. Originally, she had planned on telling him about kissing Malfoy but now she thought it might be better to wait.

"She's out with her friends." Harry said.

Or not.

"I need you to come with me." Hermione said. Harry's brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Just come on, leave your books with Neville." she barely waited for Neville to say yes before dragging Harry out the door.

"What's up?" he asked. Hermione shushed him.

"Come on." she led him out to the lake.

When she finally stopped, Harry asked: "What's wrong?"

"First you must promise me you won't tell Ron." she said. Harry looked at her quizzically. "please, he'll get mad if he finds out. I know he will. If he got mad about Krum then he is definitely going to be mad about this."

"Fine." Harry said. Then, getting her comment about Krum he came to realization. "You snogged someone?!" he asked incredulously.

Hermione nodded. "Not just someone." She waited for Harry to catch on. It took him longer than she thought it should have.

"Wait you're not talking about Malfoy are you?" he said wishing he was wrong.

"Yes." Hermione closed her eyes but only ended up with a picture of Malfoy in her head.

"What?" Harry said, his eyes popping out of his head. "Are you mad?" he asked. "Wait, did you kiss him or did he kiss you?" Clearly, Harry was hoping for the latter.

"I kissed him." she said.

"Wow." he said. "So what are you going to do? Does he think you two are a couple?" he asked. "Do you consider him as a boyfriend?"

"No, Harry I was actually hoping it was some horrible nightmare." Hermione told him.

"Did he kiss back?" Harry asked. Hermione looked out at the water and played the moment of their kiss over again. How she longed to have that chance again. _No stop thinking about it, you don't like Malfoy. _"Hermione?"

"Sorry." she said, blushing and looking at the ground.

"I guess that's a yes." Harry said with a sly smile. She grinned.

"Yeah it's a yes, but I don't know why. I hate him and he hates me. I told myself it was a misguided impulse but-"

"Maybe not." Harry was taking this a whole lot better than she thought he would. "Look there's Ginny."

Hermione looked up and saw Ginny jogging toward them.

"Hey." she said. "I haven't seen you all weekend." She hugged Hermione. "What's up?" Hermione glanced at Harry and relayed the happenings of the weekend to Ginny.

"Oh my god! That's a bit different." she said. She glanced at Harry and moved closer to Hermione. "I bet he was a good kisser wasn't he?" she whispered. Hermione laughed.

"How can you of all people bet anything like that?" she asked. Ginny grinned.

"Everyone he has ever dated told me that they miss his kissing, best part about him they said. Said he was the best." Ginny said.

"Then they haven't seen his body." Hermione said and they both laughed. Harry looked at them and decided he didn't want to know.

"But I have one question. Do you like him?"

The question rang in Hermione's head. Did she like Draco Malfoy or was it a misguided impulse?

**Okay, that was relatively quicker than usual. I feel pretty darn proud. Kayzees I'm gonna go start the next chapter. Oh and thank you to all who have reviewed pleeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeee review! DO IT! DO IT NOW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yeah, I know. This has taken me the longest time to write. I am very, very sorry but I needed help with a few things so it took a bit of time for me to update. I apologize and hope you still enjoy. **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 8- Stressed out Vampires **

Harry sped down the stairs and into the Great Hall. He slowed down when he got to the Gryffindor table and sat down with Hermione and Ron.

"Hey." He said and Ron mumbled something. "What's up with you?" Harry asked him.

"He has to do an extra post with Pansy." Hermione answered.

"Oh." Harry looked over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was missing but Pansy, Blaise, Gwyn and Spencer were whispering together. Harry noticed that Hermione glanced at the door to the Great Hall but then went back to her breakfast. He mouthed 'what's wrong?' but she whispered 'later'.

"I mean why would anyone pair me off with Parkinson? Why?" Ron asked. Hermione patted his back.

"You'll live." She said.

"Aw, thanks very soothing." Ron commented sarcastically.

"Ron give her some slack. She has to do post with Malfoy _and _live with him." Harry said. Hermione looked at him and he winked at her, she grinned back.

"Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that." Ron said sincerely. Hermione glanced at the door again. Harry wanted to know why but he dared not ask her in front of Ron.

"Hey, I wonder if we're having Dark Arts this week." Harry said casually. When they first arrived at school Dumbledore had announced that their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was indisposed and would not be able to leave the hospital in time for classes. Naturally, they were allowed a free period.

"I want to know who the teacher is." Ron stated. "It better not be Snape."

"Ron it can't be Snape, Malfoy killed him." Hermione whispered.

"It could have been staged." He mumbled. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I wonder if it's Remus." Harry said. "He's indisposed."

"Yes but he's not in the hospital. And plus, he's a werewolf. Parents won't want to have their kids taught by a werewolf." Hermione corrected. She looked at the door again and this time it opened.

Harry heard the noise of owls with the morning post and his eyes followed the sound. A dark owl headed his way. Hermione shoved a piece of paper under his hand. He looked down at it. 'What's this,' he mouthed. 'Read it,' she mouthed back. He unfolded the paper just as the owl landed next to him.

_There's something wrong with Malfoy. He was in the bathroom for forever so I skipped my morning shower. I haven't seen him at all nor have I heard him really. For some reason I'm worried. What if there's something wrong? Yesterday he was acting really weird and I found out that he takes anxiety pills. What if he has problems? I don't think I can deal with that. You know how I am. I'm too nice; I'll find some way to blame myself for whatever happens, if something happens at all. _

Harry looked up at her. He knew she would find some way to blame herself. She always did, except for when she was mad, then she could care less. Hermione never really hated Malfoy; she couldn't hate anyone. Harry realized that when Ron used to make cracks about her. She would get upset but would never hold a grudge. That's the way she was.

Harry grabbed the thin envelope from the owl. He slipped a finger under the flap and opened it. He pulled a small piece of paper out and read it. _Harry, Look up. _Harry looked around. What was he supposed to be seeing?

"Harry, what is it?" Ron asked following Harry's frantic eyes. Hermione grabbed the letter and read it. She then followed in his gaze.

"Harry!" Hermione said. "Look," she pointed to the table with all the teachers. Harry looked up and there sat Sirius Black grinning broadly at him. His eyes were glazed with happiness. Ron looked up as well.

"What's Sirius doing up there?!" he asked incredulously.

"He's our DADA teacher this year." Harry said beginning to get excited.

"How do you know?" Ron asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Why else would he be up there?" Hermione asked. "Please, Ron use your head."

Harry's grin grew wider. This was going to be the best year of his miserable life.

A sudden movement by Hermione caught his attention as well as Hermione's and Ron's. A very pale, small figure slipped onto the seat next to Hermione.

"Good morning!" Payedon Malfoy said cheerily. A smile hung loosely on her lips. Dark circles had formed under her eyes since the last time they had seen her. She stared with dark, almost black, blue eyes. Despite her cheerful disguise, she looked distant and emotionless.

"Morning." the three mumbled slightly confused. She turned her dark eyes to Hermione.

"You're the Head Girl, right?" Payedon asked Hermione.

"Yes." Hermione replied hesitantly.

"Then that means that you have to live with Draco. Am I correct?" she said diplomatically.

Hermione glanced at Harry. "Yeess." Hermione said dragging the word out.

Payedon replaced her mock cheerful expression with a serious one. She leaned closer to Hermione. "Then, I must apologize." she whispered. "He has not been himself lately. He has been unnaturally… anxious." She stared off with a distant look. "Frankly, I am worried that there is something wrong." Her mouth twitched and the seriousness returned to her face. "Something is definitely amiss." Her smile returned. "I just thought you might need to know that since are going to be closer than usual this year."

Harry watched as she silently slipped from the seat and gracefully walked to her own friends. Hermione looked at Harry but he was already too far into his thoughts.

_What was wrong with her eyes? She looked…sick. What's wrong with her? _Harry pondered the appearance of Malfoy's youngest cousin. Then it hit him.

_Flashback _

Harry, Hermione and Ron followed Malfoy deeper into an unknown forest. They were tired, hungry and weak. They wanted to lie down on something soft but they knew they had to keep walking. Malfoy didn't stop, nor did he look tired enough to stop. His left arm was wrapped in bloody makeshift bandages that didn't seem to stop the bleeding.

"Damn!" he said suddenly. The three behind him looked up. "This is so annoyingly dangerous." Harry looked at Hermione; Malfoy seemed to be talking to himself. "What am I doing?" he said. Ron glanced at Harry frantically.

"What's wrong?" Hermione piped up. Malfoy glanced at her for a second and mumbled something

"I might not be safe where we are going." he said without slowing down.

"Why?" Harry asked. Malfoy ignored his question. Harry exchanged glances with Hermione.

"If it's not safe, then why are we going?" Ron asked.

"I said it wasn't safe for me." Malfoy answered. "You three will be fine there. As long as your limbs are intact." he added.

"What do you mean?" Harry pressed.

"I mean, if you don't start bleeding, they won't try and eat you!" he almost shouted the last part out of frustration.

Harry and his friends stayed quiet. Hermione looked at Harry with horror in her eyes. "You mean to tell us that you are leading us to vampires?" she sounded half incredulous and half furious.

Malfoy finally stopped. "Yes, that is exactly what I mean to say." He stared at her intently. "They are the only ones who can fix this mess and hide you until the time is right." he added. He looked at the horrified looks on Harry's, Hermione's and Ron's face. "Listen, they abstain from human blood. Meaning, they won't suck the living daylights out of you." his tone was soft, almost soothing.

"And you have family there?" Hermione was still incredulous. Malfoy just nodded.

"Wait, if they're vampires, then why do they hide in a place so sunny?" Ron asked. "Wouldn't they live in the dark where they can't burn?" Malfoy shot him a glare.

"No, Ronald, the vampires he is talking about are light dwellers. They live in the light and they drink only animal blood. Vegetarians, almost." Hermione corrected.

"Okay, then why is it dangerous?" Ron insisted.

"Because the smell of blood provokes them." Malfoy answered. "And as you can see, I'm pretty much gushing blood." Malfoy tried to hold back the coldness in his voice.

Suddenly, there was a snap of a twig. All of them, except for Malfoy, looked around. They were surrounded by dark figures. All were tall and slender. Each face was paler than the next. One of them stepped forward.

"Draco, long time no see." said a melodic voice.

"Jayden, how are you?" Malfoy grinned. The man, more or less, smiled warmly. His pale blue eyes flickered to the three standing with Malfoy.

"Never better." He replied, looking back at Malfoy. "You are hurt." he said moving closer. "You are in need of assistance?" Jayden said more than asked. He scrunched his nose as he looked at Malfoy's bloody arm. There was a collective hiss from the other vampires as they stared at the wound. "We could smell you a mile away. You do know that it is dangerous to walk these parts in such a state, right?"

"Some help would be nice." Draco said through gritted teeth. "And yes I do know, but I have no other choice."

"That's for sure." Jayden said.

"You have brought the boy here." A different songlike voice said. Malfoy looked at its owner.

"Yes, Sam, I did. Where else was I supposed to bring him?" Malfoy's voice was cold. Sam glared at him.

"You are going to lead him here!" Sam yelled.

"Calm down. We will be far from this area before he even notices they are gone." another sweet voice piped up.

"Stefan is right." Jayden said. "We must leave here now." The others seemed to agree. Jayden walked swiftly toward Draco. "Come on, I'll carry you." Before Malfoy could protest Jayden had him in his arms and was gone.

The one named Stefan walked casually toward Hermione. "Excuse me Madame." He lifted her. "But we will never get out fast enough if you are walking." He smiled brightly and took off after Jayden. Two others grabbed Ron and Harry and were gone in a flash.

Harry's feet touched the ground and he was with his friends again. They both looked just as dazed as he felt.

"Sorry," the vampire who carried Harry said. "We tend to forget to warn you first." He laughed lightheartedly. "By the way, my name is Raine." His light blonde hair dropped into his face, blocking his left eye. Raine held out a pale hand to Harry.

"Harry." Harry replied looking hesitantly at the vampire's hand.

"Don't worry, I don't bite." Raine laughed again. This time, his songlike voice rang out through the trees surrounding them. Some of the other vampires snickered at the joke. Harry just stared. "Sorry, just a joke. I really have no interest in biting you." he apologized still smiling. Harry shook his hand bravely. "See, no harm done." Raine said.

"Where are we exactly?" Hermione asked.

"You are right outside our humble city." Stefan replied, a smile ringing in his voice. Ron looked around.

"All I see are trees." he mumbled.

"I did say _outside_ the city." Stefan emphasized.

"Come on." Sam said annoyed. "Let's hurry it up now." He led the way out into a clearing, baking in sunlight. Ron half expected the vampires to start melting and burning like everyone said. Instead, they just walked into the harmless light and ignored his disbelieving look.

The group reached a light colored stone wall and stopped. Stefan stepped forward. He touched the wall and whispered something. The sound of shifting rock echoed through the forest as a space in the wall was revealed. They all filed in before the opening closed on its own accord.

The vampire city was amazing. The sunlight bounced off the marble like stone from which the houses were made of. The forest continued all around them. Ponds glistened and waterfalls churned. It was like a paradise just waiting for them.

Stefan noticed the awed looks on Harry's, Hermione's and Ron's face. "Do you like our home?" he grinned.

"This is so…so…" Harry said speechless.

"Beautiful." Hermione finished for him. Ron's jaw just dropped.

"I will take them to where they need to be." Jayden said. "Fabula will want to see you." he directed his instructions to the only three escorts who remained- Sam, Raine and Stefan. They nodded and were gone in two seconds.

Jayden turned to Harry. "You are safe here until the time comes for you to go." He said with a warm smile. Harry's brow furrowed as he followed the vampire who led them to a large castle like structure. They walked up several flights of stairs and stopped at a door down a hall. Jayden supported Malfoy as they walked into the room.

A girl stood immediately and turned to face them. Her long overly blonde hair hung around her in loose ringlets. Her pale skin glistened in the light. By far she was probably one of the most beautiful people any of them had ever seen. Her most intriguing feature was her pale blue eyes that seemed to get paler as she studied Malfoy.

"Oh, Draco! What did you do to yourself?" she exclaimed stepping toward them. "You are always causing trouble. When will you learn to stop." she raged but she was smiling and Harry could see the sharp teeth that had attempted to hide themselves.

"Nice to see you too Gwyn." Draco smiled.

_Reality _

"Harry?" Ron asked. He was waving his hand in front of Harry's face. Somehow they were already through first period class.

"Honestly, Harry you can't keep daydreaming during classes." He recognized Hermione's 'parenting' voice.

"Sorry." he mumbled. "I was just thinking." Hermione relaxed and led them to their next class. "Hey, I have a question." he said breaking the silence. Hermione and Ron turned to him. "If Payedon is Gwyn's little sister, then doesn't that mean that she's a vampire as well."

"Most likely." Hermione said understanding what he wanted to know.

"When they are really pale and their eyes are really dark, what does that mean?" he asked.

"That they've been up all night?" Ron asked. Hermione and Harry stared at him. "What? That's what it means for me."

"It means that they haven't eaten for a while which is usually due to stress or lack of available food." Hermione said. "But I'll bet it's because of stress." Harry nodded.

"What's going on?" Ron asked feeling utterly clueless and left out.

"There must be something really wrong with Malfoy." Harry mumbled.

_Draco _

Draco Malfoy sat silently at the Slytherin table. He was confused and worried. And for good reason. He was seeing things, hallucinating. He heard voices. Actually, only one, hers. He dreamed about her all night and his anxiety pills weren't doing their job. He jumped at every sound and wouldn't dare glance at any show of affection from anyone.

Gwyn and Spencer didn't help the matter at all. Every few minutes they'd be holding hands or worse, kissing. Draco couldn't stand it. It made him long for what he had already lost, what could never come back.

There was only one time that he felt like this, and that was when she died. He was depressed and would have committed suicide if he wasn't so determined to avenge her. Now, he had nothing to keep his mind off of her dead corpse. He saw her pale body lying on the floor where she was killed in his dreams. Her lifeless eyes followed him everywhere. Yes, Draco Malfoy had plunged back into his depressed state.

"Draco." Gwyn said staring at him. "You have to eat something."

Draco looked at his full plate. "I'm not hungry." he pushed the plate away. Gwyn stared at him as did the rest of his friends.

"Draco, you don't look all that great." Pansy said. She put the back of her hand to his forehead. "Oh my god! You're burning up."

"Maybe you should get some sleep. Go to bed early." Blaise suggested.

"No!" Draco said with more force than he meant to. Pansy jumped at his sudden change of tone. Gwyn scrutinized him with her pale eyes.

"Draco, is there something wrong?" she asked.

"Yeah you seem a bit perturbed." Spencer added.

"No, I just…I'm not tired okay?" He sighed.

"Come on." Gwyn said getting up. "You guys stay here." she said to the other three. Then she turned to Draco. "You're coming with me." She grabbed his hand and led him out of the Great Hall.

They walked out toward the lake in silence. Draco watched the sun slowly set and waited for Gwyn to start her interrogation. She didn't say anything.

"Aren't you going to say something?" He finally asked, fed up with her silence. She looked at him.

"Should I say something?" She asked.

"I don't know. Why are we here?" Draco asked.

"We are here because you need help." She stared into his eyes. "We need to figure out what is going on with you."

Draco closed his eyes and sighed. "I suppose you want me to tell you what happened over the weekend." Gwyn just nodded. "Might as well start from the beginning." He sighed again. "I was perfectly fine Friday but Saturday was, well, weird. For the most part it was normal but then Potter and the Weasel-" Gwyn gave him a look. "Sorry, Weasley came. I went up to inform Granger that Blaise was ready to beat up Weasley, but-"

"But?" Gwyn said. Draco looked down.

"Well, I'm not too sure what happened but Granger kissed me and I sort of kissed her back." He looked up and Gwyn was grinning.

"That's all?" she asked. "That's not so bad. People kiss all the time; you shouldn't be worried about that."

"That's not it! I didn't _want _to kiss her."

"You didn't want to kiss her?" Gwyn was looking at him skeptically.

"Well I mean I did, for some odd reason, but I didn't. Does that make sense?" Draco looked at her. "Of course it doesn't. But that is not where my problem stops. Ever since we kissed I've been seeing things, hallucinating. I have these nightmares that are so vivid. I hear her voice and I see her dead body everywhere. Even daydreams seem to become nightmares. I'm afraid to go to sleep!" He almost grinned. "Yes me, Draco Malfoy. I am afraid to go to sleep. As pathetic that sounds, it's true."

Gwyn looked at him for a full minute. "Well aren't you going to say something?" he asked.

"What can I say? There is clearly something wrong. Payedon realized it before it started. I think I know what's wrong but I'm not sure how to help you."

"So, I'm doomed. I have to live like this for the rest of my hopeless life?" Draco stared out at the water. "Why don't you just kill me now?" Gwyn stared at him with hurt in her eyes.

"Why would you even think about that?" she said angrily. "I thought you were over that."

"So did I."

"You are _not _killing yourself. Do you hear me?" she turned him to face her. "Draco Malfoy, if you so much as _think _something along those lines…"

"Gwyn, I get it. I won't try anything, promise."

"Draco, I am going to help you through this. No matter what." she smiled at her cousin and he smiled back.

**I hope you liked it. It took me forever to figure out how to incorporate the vampire thing. Actually, Spencer was supposed to be a vampire but I changed my mind. REVIEW PLEEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEE!!!!!!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! This chapter is so long! It should last you for a couple of days, right? I have finals coming up so I'm not sure how much I can write after this. So, enjoy! **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 9- Hogsmead **

Draco spent the entire month avoiding any close contact with Hermione Granger. He had gotten it into his head that she was the start of all the craziness that was going on with him. Maybe she was and maybe, just maybe, it was him. But that thought wasn't allowed to cross his mind. He would not allow such a thing to change his mind from it's current state. To him, Hermione was the cause and nothing would make him think differently.

Gwyn noticed his odd thoughts but she had little protests. In her opinion, anything that kept him from hating himself was a step in the right direction. She vowed to work on the hating Hermione thing but she needed to work through the current problem one step at a time.

Blaise spent his time moping about not being 'good enough for Gwyn' but he did attempt to cheer Malfoy up as well. Crabbe and Goyle barely noticed there was anything wrong but when they did, they tried to ignore it and give Malfoy some space. Spencer tried his best to help Malfoy. He convinced him to go to Hogsmead and they had _some _fun, if not a whole lot. Pansy attempted to help Malfoy as well. She got him to laugh a few times but that was his limit. At times he seemed to get better but then he'd fall back down again.

Hermione noticed how hard Malfoy tried to avoid her but that only made her want to know why. She tried to start small conversations but to no avail. He would give her one word answers and was unnaturally rude toward her. The hatred between the two only increased as the weeks passed. Hermione bombarded Ginny and Harry with her problems. They pretended not to care but deep down she knew that she was invading their space. She couldn't talk to Ron because, well, he was Ron. He would get mad about the whole kissing Malfoy thing so she refrained from telling him.

Harry and Ginny had no problem with helping Hermione through her problems, at first anyway. She would pour her doubts out on them and they would help her work through each one. After a while it did get a bit annoying but they didn't show it. They continued to help her and at times they convinced her to forget everything, at least for a while.

_Hermione _

Hermione trudged out of her Defense Against the Dark Arts class just to be called back. She turned to her teacher. Sirius stared at her intently. (A/n- I just remembered that I never explained how he's alive so I'll incorporate that somewhere, I just have to figure out where. I'm also starting a story about it later but I'm finishing this one first. Sorry to leave you in the dark about it.)

"Alright, you've got five minutes to spill. What's up?" he asked concerned.

Hermione sighed. "Do you really want to know?" He nodded. "It's a long story and I've got a free period next so you might want to prepare yourself," she warned. Sirius grinned.

"I've got nothing but time," he responded.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Okay, we should probably start at the beginning."

"That'd be a good idea," he noted with a slight smile.

She smiled back. "Right then, I kissed Malfoy." she looked at his expression of surprise. "Yeah, I know, I wasn't thinking. And apparently neither was he since he kissed back." Hermione glanced at Sirius again. "Afterwards, he was acting really weird. He seemed a bit distraught but I couldn't tell. Now he turns the other way whenever he sees me in the hallway. If I ask him a question, he sneers more than I would have thought humanly possible. He sits in the dark and… I have no idea what he does in the dark nor am I too sure I want to know. All in all he is really distant and odder than usual."

"Hmm."

"What do you think?"

"I think that that wasn't as long as you thought," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"You know what I meant."

He sighed. "It's hard to know for sure. I'd have to have his point of view to tell you anything of consequence." he looked at Hermione. "But I hope you are aware of what he is going through."

"What do you mean?"

"The death of your friend, Lisa hit home for him as well," Sirius informed. "That was why he was so determined to stay alive long enough to get Snape."

"Oh my god, I completely forgot. That was why he asked Remus how he could help the Order." Sirius just nodded. "Wait, so Snape killed Lisa?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, Snape was the one who informed Voldemort of her whereabouts, why, I still don't know. Basically, he was the one to blame for her death."

"Malfoy knew he couldn't kill Voldemort so the next best thing was Snape. That makes sense." Hermione stared off into space. "He almost got killed in the end. That's what he wanted, wasn't it?"

"To kill Snape and then die, yes. But Gwyn wouldn't let him do that so now he's paying the price." Sirius looked sad for a moment.

"That's why Payedon said there was something wrong." Sirius looked at her. "Malfoy's younger cousin was concerned about him and warned me about his odd behavior. She said that there was something seriously wrong. I didn't really get what she was talking about. She looked stressed."

Sirius sighed. "Well, if I were you I'd try to figure out what's wrong with him. I never really took interest in his family but he seems more intriguing than his father. He's probably worth the work."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks, I'll try that." With that she sped down the hall to find Harry and Ginny.

_Draco_

"Ugh, it won't get out," Pansy whined. Draco laughed at her as did Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Spencer and Gwyn.

"Sorry," Gwyn said through laughter. "I didn't mean to give you such a vivid picture." Blaise rolled over laughing in the snow.

"You…haha…and…hahaha…Weasley…HAHAHAHA…" He couldn't stop laughing long enough to finish his sentence.

"Blaise you blow everything out of proportion!" Pansy scowled. She turned to Gwyn. "Do you really think that?"

Gwyn shrugged. "It's possible."

"Oh God! Eww me and Weasley. That is utterly impossible!"

"I don't know, Pansy, you two would make a great couple," Spencer said. He immediately ducked when Pansy sent a textbook flying his way.

The others burst into more fits of laughter. "We should have more freebees," Crabbe announced.

"Why, so you can have more jokes at my expense?" Pansy said with mock anger.

"Aww, don't be upset! You are not alone, Goyle eyes Luna every so often." Goyle's mouth dropped and everyone laughed harder.

"Well, Crabbe likes Ginny Weasley!" Goyle shouted louder than necessary. The others laughed even harder. Crabbe stared at Goyle vengeful, he had to get _someone. _

"What about Malfoy and Granger?" he said laughing dumbly. Everyone stopped and Draco stiffened. Goyle stared at Crabbe wide-eyed. "What?" he asked completely clueless.

Gwyn opened her mouth to say something but closed it two seconds later. Draco grew visibly paler and no one dared to say anything. Blaise sat up.

"Well, if you ask me, I think Luna looks pretty damn good for a sixth year," Blaise said grinning.

"You're a buffoon," Pansy said.

"I know, I can't help it."

Gwyn slid over to sit next to Draco while the others continued their laugh fest. "What's up?" she asked.

"I keep having these flashbacks," he said. "Every time I close my eyes I see something like going to the Order or killing Snape or when we found her, dead."

"Maybe there's something you _need _to remember so your mind is racking through all the memories to find it."

"Yeah, like how to have fun, I need remember that."

"Draco, don't worry, we are going to get through this," Gwyn reassured him.

"What if I didn't want to get through?"

Gwyn's face turned grim. "Death is not an option," she said firmly.

Draco sighed. "I know."

"Come on, it'll be Christmas soon and you are moping around. That is not the Christmas spirit."

"Right, Christmas spirit."

"At least try."

"Fine."

"Thank you."

Draco walked into the mini-kitchen of the dorm he shared with Hermione Granger. With a sigh, he opened the fridge and pulled out the Orange Juice. He turned and there stood Lisa in the doorway again. His mouth dropped at the same time as the orange juice. He backed up.

"Holy shit this is going too far," he said still staring at his beloved hallucination. "What the _hell _is going on?" he asked.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

Draco secretly thanked her for giving him a reason to turn away from the figure in the doorway. He looked to the other door at Hermione.

"Nothing," he mumbled looking at the other door again. _Thank God, she's gone. _

"Why are you sitting on the counter like that?"

Draco looked down and realized that he had backed up onto the counter, again. He quickly jumped down. "No reason."

Hermione scrutinized him and went to pick up the fallen juice. "Good thing this was closed," she muttered to herself, setting the juice on the counter. Draco pushed past her and felt the familiar feeling of longing surge through his body. He could still smell her vanilla scent when he slammed his door shut.

He flung onto the bed and buried himself in covers. _What is wrong with me? I thought I was over this. Stupid depression! Stupid life! How the hell did I get so effing depressed anyway? _Draco slowly drifted into his desperately hated slumber.

_Dream/Flashback _

Draco walked back to the hideout (for lack of a better term). He couldn't wait to see Lisa again. She was the love of his life and he hated being apart from her for any period of time. What could he say; he was a love struck teenager.

His day had been uneventfully dreary, as usual. He ran some boring errands and that was about it.

As he reached the steps of the cleverly hidden house, something in his stomach told him there was something amiss. He felt his insides churning with terror. Nevertheless, he walked toward the door. If there was something wrong, then he needed to hurry.

His considerably pale hand reached for the door knob. The door shook with his hand and he had to hold it steady with his other hand.

Draco walked into the dead silent house, scared out of his wits. I was dark, first problem. It was too quiet, second problem. The third and final problem, the house seemed to be empty.

Panic filled Draco's body as he walked toward the small kitchen. Nothing.

"Lisa!" he called frantically. No answer. _No, no, no! Where is she? Maybe she went out, calm down. _But he wouldn't calm down. There was no way for him to calm himself. "Lisa, where are you?!" he yelled. He checked each room carefully but there was no sign of her. Not until the last room. His stomach started doing frantic flips by the time he was at the last door.

Draco hesitated before lightly pushing the door open. He didn't have to open it any more nor did he have to search the room. Lisa was lying on the floor. Her body was stiff and her eyes were rolled to the back of her head.

Draco ran to her, horrified. _No, no! Oh my GOD NO! _He slid down to the floor, burying his face in his hands and cried. He cried more than humanly possible until he had no more tears.

He dared not leave her body; he held her limp hand as if it would suddenly come back to life. He was sobbing and hiccupping crazily until Dumbledore was next to him. (then he sobbed more)

"Mr. Malfoy, what happened?" He asked. Draco didn't even need to answer. Dumbledore saw her body lying on the floor and knew. Remus came in a minute later.

He studied Draco and then he looked at Lisa wide-eyed. Snape came in behind him.

"Severus, take Mr. Malfoy out please." Dumbledore said, not looking away for Lisa's body.

Snape went over to Draco and proceeded to pull him up. "No!" Draco yelled. "I can't leave her!" He started crying uncontrollably again and reached for his lost love. Snape ignored his desperate screams and dragged him out of the room. "No, NO!" he screamed as the tears streamed down his face.

"Malfoy! Pull yourself together!" Snape said when they were in the other room. He let go of Draco and he slumped to the floor. "How do you think your father would react to seeing you like this?"

"How the (insert profanity) should I know! And why would I care anyway?! He hated her! To him, she was just a _filthy mudblood_!" Draco screamed through tears.

Snape raised his eyebrows. "You were in too deep anyway." he mumbled.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Draco demanded.

"Nothing."

_Silence _

**(A/n- I'm going to be telling both their thoughts for this part cause I don't feel like switching from one point of view to the other, it takes too much time.)**

Draco woke up crying, sweating or both; he couldn't tell. His breathing was heavy. Why was this happening to him? What did he do to be plagued with those memories?

He slipped out of bed, yawning. He checked the time, grabbed clean clothes and jogged out of his room. He reached the bathroom and closed the door. Draco turned on the shower and jumped into the hot water. It was soothing. Gradually, his mood lightened.

By the time he was finished, he was happier than he had been in months. Why…he didn't know. He didn't really care either. Draco opened the door and almost bumped into Hermione as he did so. "Sorry." he said cheerily. "Wow, you look…ravishing." he said sarcastically.

Hermione's hair sat all over her head and she looked like a sick dog. She looked at Malfoy skeptically. "Really?" she asked in no mood for his sarcasm. _I do __**not **__look, in the least bit, ravishing. He __**must **__be joking. : Or he's madly in love with you and thinks you look great no matter what. _Hermione snorted at the latest comment from the voice in her head.

"Yes, kind of like Pansy's dog, Jojo." he laughed and walked out, ignoring her grumbled profanities.

Yup, he was in a good mood. _Why the hell am I so happy? Usually when someone wakes from a nightmare, they are pretty upset. Wonderful, now I'm having mood swings! Perfect, just what I need! _

He jogged down to the kitchen and fixed himself breakfast. "Lovely, I'm in the mood to cook. There is definitely something wrong with me," he said aloud. He took the whipped cream and squirted it on his pancakes.

"I'll say. When someone starts talking to themselves, they usually do have problems." Hermione said. Draco squirted the whipped cream at her.

"Shut up, you shouldn't be talking," he grumbled, but his mood wasn't dampened.

"Oh really, and why is that?" Hermione asked, wiping the whipped cream off her face.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" he asked. He looked at her and smiled mischievously.

She thought about it. "No, not really." Her thoughts had quickly gone to when she kissed him. Nope, she didn't want him to tell her.

"That's what I thought. You want some?" he nodded toward the pancakes. "They probably taste like crap but that's why I put whipped cream on them."

"I don't mind." She grabbed a plate and he piled on three pancakes. _He made breakfast? Since when does Malfoy cook? Maybe it's poisoned. No, he wouldn't be eating it if it was. _"So, what's the occasion?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you so nice today?"

"Honestly?" she nodded. "I have no idea. I just woke up and now I'm happy," he said staring off. "Should there be a reason?" _Yes, there should. This is not normal, far from it. _

"No, I was just wondering." She looked at him cautiously. _I definitely need to keep him in a good mood. Maybe I can get something out of him, like what is wrong with him. _

"Maybe it's the whole Christmas spirit thing," Draco said, seriously thinking about the question. _Let's hope so. _

"Maybe."

"You going to Hogsmead later on?" he asked.

"Probably, there's nothing to do around here," Hermione answered carefully. Clearly, she was baffled that he was holding up a conversation with her. _Why did he ask that? Oh My God, is he going to ask me to go with him: Nope, that's just wishful thinking. : Shut up! Great, now I'm arguing with the voice in my head, perfect. _"You?"

"Gwyn's forcefully pressuring me to go." He sighed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"For what?" she looked at him, surprised.

"I've been kind of weird lately," he stared off again. _Sorry? What the hell am I saying? _"I just don't want you to think it's your fault." _Oh My God! I'm going crazy! I can't even control what I'm saying! I need to stop this now. _

Hermione looked at him open mouthed. "Um, okay." _What does he want me to do? Should I say I forgive him? Maybe I should just get up and go. _"Right, well, it's no big deal." _Now I've got to get out of this room. _"Well, I have to go."

She got up and put her plate in the sick, thoroughly washing it off. For some reason, Draco didn't want her to leave. _Oh shit! Don't do it! Please don't keep her from leaving. Just stay seated, pretend to eat. _He got up with his plate. _Dammit! I can't control myself. This has got to be a hazard. _He slowly placed his plate in the sink next to hers.

Hermione turned to face him, already blushing. They were so close. He breathed in her scent. She was frozen in her spot.

_Drats! I can't move! I don't even __**want **__to move! Dangit, he smells good! Why does he have to smell so good? _She moved a bit closer to him.

_Shoot! She's not backing up. I was counting on that. God, she smells soo GOOD! _He leaned down, screaming profanities at himself. Their lips touched and neither backed away.

Draco coiled his arms around her waist and Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. Her body fit perfectly against his.

It was a full minute before it happened. The memories started pouring through Draco's mind. One memory lingered. In the memory, he was kissing Lisa. He remembered it so vividly, he could feel it. Or maybe it was kissing Hermione he was feeling.

The memory was what dampened his once cheerful mood. He backed away from Hermione more quickly than he intended, almost falling over in the process.

His eyes were wider, if possible, than hers. _Oh my god! We did it again. I need to get out of here now, before I push my limit. Why didn't she pull away? Can't she tell I have no control over myself? _"I…have to g..go," he stuttered, speeding out of the kitchen and into his room.

_Hermione _

Hermione winced as she heard Malfoy's door slam shut. _Did that really just happen? _She smiled to herself. _Wait, why am I smiling? _She dashed into her room. "Straightener, where is my straightener." she searched the room. "Aha!" She proceeded to straighten her hair. When it was paper thin and straighter than, well just straight, she took out the curling iron. She then lightly curled the ends of her hair.

(A/n- yeah I know, straighten hair just to curl it, weird. But it works with my hair.) Hermione checked her reflection. _Oh my god! NO! I'm just going to Hogsmead with Harry, Ron and Ginny; I don't need to look amazing. _She debated on whether she should where lip gloss or chapstick. _Yes, but Draco will be there. _Her voice teased her.

"But I don't care," she tried to convince herself. She chose the lip gloss. Obviously, she did care. _Yes you do. _the voice insisted. _And so does he. What do you think he's doing in there? He's probably pacing, trying to convince himself that he doesn't care. _

"You mean sort of like me?" Hermione said aloud. _I think he likes you. _Hermione snorted. "Funny." _And you think I like him back? _This time it was the voice who snorted. _Don't have to. I __**know **__you like him. _

Hermione glared at the mirror. "I hope you can see that." she sighed and walked out the door. To her deep, deep…deep delight, Malfoy was just about to leave when she caught up with him.

"Going to find Gwyn?" she asked casually. He looked at her wide-eyed.

"Yeah." He seemed to be still relatively cheery. "Listen, about earlier…I'm sorry, I…"

"No problem, it'll be our little secret." _Why am I so happy? I should be shying away from him, trying to forget that kiss ever happened. _

Malfoy stared at her for a moment. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

_See, even he thinks it's weird that I'm not completely abashed about the earlier incident. _"Yeah, I'm fine." Malfoy stared at her for another minute.

"Whatever you say," He muttered and continued walking.

"When we get back, we have to finish those decorations," Hermione said absentmindedly.

"Yeah," Malfoy agreed. "That should be loads of fun." He looked at her hesitantly. "You look good with your hair down. You should wear it like that more often." He spotted Gwyn and rushed toward her without looking back.

Hermione stood where he left her in complete awe. _Did he just comment on my hair? No, scratch that. Did he just say something __**nice **__about my hair: I told you, he likes you. : Shut up! You're ruining the moment. _

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny walked around window shopping. Actually Hermione and Ginny were window shopping, Harry and Ron were just following.

"I'm starving guys!" Ron complained. "Can we stop walking around and get something to eat?"

"Fine Ron. Don't be such a baby." The four of them headed to the Three Broomsticks to get something to eat. They sat in a cozy booth in the corner. Ginny sat by the window across from Hermione and Harry sat next to her across from Ron.

"Finally, I'm starving," Ron said. Ginny shook her head.

"You are such a nuisance," she said. Ron just grinned in reply. The waiter, a tall young guy in his twenties, came to their table.

"Hi, I'm John, I'll be your server for today. Can I get you your drinks?" He smiled politely at the four. They all ordered butterbeers and the waiter rushed to the next table.

Harry and Ron launched into some argument that Hermione and Ginny decided to ignore. Hermione stared out the window deep in thought. Ginny stared at her trying to determine whether her mood was good or bad. Hermione watched as snowballs hurled passed the window. Coincidentally, Malfoy and his friends were the ones throwing the snowballs. She watched them dodge and throw snow everywhere. When one of them got hit, the others would laugh until their sides hurt.

Malfoy dodged a snowball and it hit some poor first year. Of course, they all started laughing but stopped when that first year threw a monster snowball at Blaise, who chased the poor kid until he cried. Hermione even thought she heard the kid say he peed his pants. At that, they all started laughing again. Goyle said something about eating and Malfoy threw a snowball at his face. They all burst into fits of laughter but eventually, they headed for the Three Broomsticks.

That was when Malfoy saw Hermione. He grinned at her, his face red from the cold. She was caught off guard but she couldn't help smiling back anyway.

"You two seem to be getting along," Ginny whispered. She was leaning across the table so that she was closer to Hermione.

"I guess so," Hermione said watching Malfoy walk toward the door. She looked at Ginny. "I have to tell you what happened earlier," she said. "Later though." They both glanced at Ron. "I kind of feel bad about not telling him."

"Don't. You need to wait until we figure this out before telling him," Ginny whispered. "And plus, you don't think Malfoy told all his goons, do you? Of course not! He would only tell Gwyn, for sure. Maybe Blaise or Pansy, but that's it."

"I guess you're right." Hermione sighed.

"Wait, is what happened earlier why you are in such a good mood?" Ginny asked.

Hermione bit her lip hesitantly. "Yeah, sort of."

"Here are your drinks." John set the butterbeers down on the table. "Are you guys ready to order or do you need more time?"

"We're ready." They ordered their food and John went to the next table.

Hermione stared off again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Malfoy and his friends ordering, two tables over. _Why do I even care where he is: Because YOU…LIKE…DRACO…MALFOY: Oh God, I thought you were sleeping or something. : There you go again with your wishful thinking: Ugh, Do you ever sleep: Ha, NO! _

"Hermione, you okay?" Ron asked.

"Huh, oh yeah. I'm fine." She looked at Ginny, who was laughing mutely. "What?"

"Nothing. You just looked like you were daydreaming." She laughed harder. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you dare," she said teasingly.

"Don't I dare what?" Ginny said, still laughing.

"I know what you're thinking and it's no good." They both burst into laughter. Harry and Ron looked at them but decided not to ask.

The four finished their lunch and headed back out into the snow. Ginny and Hermione walked arm-in-arm while Harry and Ron walked ahead of them.

"So…How bout that story," Ginny said casually. Hermione sighed but couldn't fight the smile that spread across her lips. _I give up! There is no way that I can fight this! It's sickening! _

"Well, this morning he was all happy for no reason. He seemed to be the old Malfoy again until…" She thought about the events of her morning. "Actually, until breakfast. He made pancakes. I didn't know he could cook either," Hermione assured Ginny. "We were talking, sort of and when I got up to leave, he followed me. Then…we kissed, again." She didn't even bother to hide her smile.

Ginny grinned. "This so cute!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"How you two seem not to notice that you're falling in love."

Hermione stopped. "I didn't want to kiss him. Then, out of nowhere, I did, want to, I mean. But I hate this feeling I get. I feel like I can't control my body anymore. My thoughts are completely separate from my body."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"The whole time, I kept telling myself not to kiss back, to pull away and go but my body didn't listen to me." Hermione looked at her friend. "I don't get it."

"Hmm, I think that the rest of you knows you like him but you mind still needs to be convinced." Hermione stared at her with disbelief.

"Since when did you get so good with romantics?" Ginny shrugged.

"I don't know. But I think you two make a good couple. Or at least you would if your minds would cooperate with your bodies." she laughed.

"If only," Hermione agreed.

**Alrighty, I'm done! Not the whole story, of course, but this chapter. Next one will be with Ron and Pansy 'cause I haven't done anything with them in a while. YAY, MISTLETOE!**


	10. Chapter 10

**H****ey! I'm finished this chapter early so I decided to be the nice, loving and caring person that I am and post it before exams start. **

**(add disclaimer here) **

**Reincarnated Love**

**Chapter 10- Mistletoe Duty **

"...and Ron and Pansy, you have mistletoe duty. You guys are taking care of the upper floors." Hermione finished her list of duties for the prefects.

"Right then, you all have your jobs so get to it," Malfoy called to the rest of the prefects. They all shuffled out to decorate the castle. Malfoy turned to Hermione. "So, what are we stuck doing?" he asked, looking over her shoulder to see the list.

"We have to take care of the Great Hall and then supervise the rest of them," she said, ignoring how tempting it was to kiss him.

"That's it?" she nodded. "Are we doing the great Hall all by ourselves?"

"Yup, with the exception of Hagrid bringing in trees for us to decorate, of course."

"Hmm, that's no fun." Hermione raised an eyebrow. Malfoy noticed and quickly tried to explain.

"I was looking forward to making fun of Pansy and Weasley as they attempt to put up mistletoe…together." He grinned widely. Hermione smiled back.

"Who knows, if we hurry up in the Great Hall, we might be able to catch them before their done," she said reassuringly. Malfoy's eyes lit up.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry this up." He grabbed her arm and led her toward the Great Hall, ignoring the charge of excitement that surged through him as he went.

"But that does **not **mean that we rush and do a sloppy job." Hermione also tried her best to ignore the excitement she felt when he touched her arm.

"Yeah, yeah." Malfoy said. "Don't be a pest about it." he muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

_Ron & Pansy_

"Damn mistletoe!" Ron exclaimed. He had stuck his finger in the leafy ornament for the umpteenth time. "Why is it so great anyway?" he mumbled, more to himself.

"It's seen as romantic." Pansy informed him. She had put up all of her mistletoe successfully without poking herself.

"To hell with romantics." Ron muttered. Pansy rolled her eyes.

"Listen, there is no way in the world we are going to put all this up if we stay together," Pansy said. That was her excuse for getting away from Weasley. Of course it would work; it was logical.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Ron admitted.

"I know I'm right; there is no _probably _about it," Pansy sneered. Ron stared at her. "Now, you should work your way down from the top floors and I'll work my way up. Eventually, we'll meet up and that will be when we are finished. Understood?" Ron just nodded. "Then, get on with it. And don't slack! Make sure you get every place necessary!"

Ron obeyed, slightly scared of Pansy.

After he was out of sight, she smiled. "Perfect, I'm alone. It's better this way." She started humming Christmas songs and began to work on her mistletoe.

_565 thousand pieces of mistletoe later…_

Pansy sang as she finished off her last piece of mistletoe. "I'm… dreaming of a white… Christmas." She started twirling to her own music. "Just like the ones I used to know… Where the treetops glisten… and children listen… to hear… sleigh bells in the snow." She started laughing. "God, I'm weird."

"I'll say." Ron said. He was leaning against the wall. Pansy walked toward him a little and frowned.

"How long have you been there?" she demanded.

"Long enough to hear you switch from 'Frosty the Snowman' to 'A White Christmas'." He snickered. "And to watch you dancing with yourself."

"You think that's funny?" She tilted her head to the side, staring at him. _Wow, this is weird. He's taller than me. I never knew Weasley was this tall. I like tall guys. Whoa, I am weirder than I thought. _A grin spread across her face. _Hmm, I did promise Blaise I would. If I don't, I lose the bet. But then again, how is Blaise going to know if I kissed him or not? What harm could a small kiss do? This should be fun. _

"I…well…I …don't re…really know, what you…you're talking about," Ron stuttered. He was not used to being within ten feet of Pansy Parkinson, let alone ten inches.

Pansy stepped closer to him, smiling broadly. He was trapped and frozen as well. _Why is she so close to me? Is she crazy? Maybe she's sick. I have a bad feeling about this. _She stood on her toes and kissed him. She didn't expect what came next.

Ron kissed back, wrapping his arms around her. She instinctively did the same. In minutes they were glued to each other. He had her against the wall and she clung to him like a drowning person would cling to a life preserver. After what seemed like five minutes, they separated for breath and went back at it like bunnies on a rampage.

It wasn't until two minutes later that they stopped. Ron stared at Pansy, eyes wide as saucers. She bit her lip and looked back at him.

"Well, that was different." Ron said hoarsely.

"Yeah, just a little." Pansy confirmed. She lightly brushed her fingers across her lips; they were warm. Ron raked a hand through his hair.

"We could not tell anyone," Ron said hesitantly.

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea," Pansy agreed.

"Our little secret," Ron mumbled.

"Right, let's just go back before we feel the sudden urge to follow tradition."

Ron looked at her confused. "Tradition?" She pointed to the mistletoe above them. "Oh, right." They turned and walked toward the stairs.

_Draco & Hermione _

"Malfoy, what in the bloody hell are you doing?!" Hermione yelled at him. He winced and turned to face her. _She looks so cute when she's angry. SHUT UP! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! What am I thinking? _

"I'm going to go check on the others," he said innocently.

She looked at him dubiously. "Oh really?" He nodded. "I thought I said that _we_ have to finish what _we _are doing _first._" She pursed her lips.

_Alright, I've got to admit, she looks very attractive when she is angry. Aw, damn! I'm hopeless! _

"Yes but they'll be done before we finish this," Draco half-whined.

"Draco, we finish this area first. We're almost done."

"Fine," he said curtly.

They finally finished the Great Hall after another couple of hours. "Wow, we were almost finished." The sarcasm in his voice was clearly evident.

Hermione just smiled. "It looks nice doesn't it?" she admired their work.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever you say." He grabbed her arm and headed toward the stairs.

"Why are you so pushy?" Hermione was trying to keep the blush that spread across her face at bay. _Why do I like the hand to hand contact between us?_

"Why are you blushing?" he asked, smirking. She opened her mouth to say something but blushed even more. "That's what I thought." He continued to drag her up the stairs.

"What do you think we are going to find, Pansy trying to bury Ron's body?" Hermione asked.

Draco laughed. "That's a thought." She rolled her eyes.

"How, exactly, do you plan on finding them?"

"I have radar." He grinned as he said this.

"That's a new one." He stopped dead in his tracks, causing Hermione to bump into his back. "What…" She stopped before finishing. What she was witnessing was cause enough to stop. _Oh my GOD! Is that Ron?_

Pansy was against the wall wrapped around Ron like a bandage. They were clinging to each other as if afraid they might disappear at any second. Their mouths were locked, refusing to part. It reminded her of sixth year when Ron decided that Lavender was his personal snogging tool. This was less disgusting and more shocking, upsetting almost.

Draco stared at his friend, who was too busy playing tonsil hockey with her former enemy to notice him. He stared and stared in disbelief. He blinked more than normal, just to see if he was hallucinating again. He leaned down toward Hermione.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing," he whispered in her ear.

She was too shocked to blush at how close he was to her. She didn't even pay attention to the shivers that went down her spine when his breath hit her cheek. "Yeah. At least I think so."

Draco sighed. _I'm not hallucinating. _"That's a relief." Hermione looked at him, confused. "Don't worry about it." He turned back to look at Ron and Pansy. "How long has it been now?"

"I don't know." Hermione looked at them too. "Can anyone really last that long?"

Draco smirked. _Yeah, I've lasted way longer than this. _"They should be coming up for air in a minute." As if on cue, Ron and Pansy parted for just a second and went back at it.

"Wow," Hermione said. "How long do think this has been going on?"

"No idea. Oh, look, their finally parting for good."

"You seem cheery about this."

"Well, what can I do?" He looked at her. "It's not like Pansy and I were dating or anything. She is strictly my friend." he shrugged. "I could go on the brotherly approach and bug her about it but what's the point?"

Hermione's brow furrowed. "So, you don't care?" He shook his head.

"Neither should you…unless, you are _with _Weasley." It sounded more like a question than a statement, even to him.

"NO! No, I mean, no we are **not **together." Hermione looked at him, hoping she wasn't blushing again. _This blushing has got to stop! Why did he ask me that anyway?_

_Why is she getting all defensive? I hope she doesn't think I care, 'cause I don't. Absolutely not. …Crap! Yeah I do. _"Come on; let's go before they see us." He grabbed her hand this time, feeling the tingle surge through him again. As they ran down flights of stairs, he watched her blush become stronger.

"Let's go in here. We can pretend to be checking out everyone else's work." Hermione suggested.

"Good idea." He led them into the second floor corridor. They slowed down to a normal pace. He looked at the different decorations with mock admiration. "Hmm, nice, yes real nice," he said, pretending to be intrigued by the red and green garland hanging everywhere. Hermione laughed.

"Because that's _real _convincing."

"It doesn't have to be. I've got connections." He grinned evilly.

"Really? And what kind of connections would they be?" She looked at him skeptically.

"Now, if I told you, they wouldn't be all that great anymore," His grin widened. "You see, the thing that makes a great connection is secrecy. You got no secrecy, you got no connections."

Hermione laughed wholeheartedly. "Wow that is a bit different," She grew uncomfortable when he said nothing more. They had stopped and were staring at the decorations, her hand still in his. "We might want to move."

Draco stared at her with confusion. "Why?" She pointed up with her free hand, afraid to break their contact. "Oh, mistletoe. Do you feel the urge to follow tradition?"

"Not really, I just…" she broke off.

"Why?" His brow furrowed as he frowned.

"What?" She stared at him in shock. _Did he really just say that? No, I'll pretend he didn't._ He looked away.

"Nothing." He turned back. He lifted their hands to eye level, untwining his fingers so that his hand was flat against hers. They stared at each other the entire time, not speaking a word. "Why do you blush so much?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Hermione felt herself blush again. "See, there you go again." _That's it! This blushing seems to be determined to set me up. Well, I'm not going down without a fight!_

"I don't know. I usually don't blush this much." That was the wrong thing to say and she knew it. If she was planning on keeping it a secret that she liked him, she just blew that fish out of the water.

Draco smirked. "I have that effect on girls." Hermione's mouth dropped.

"Why do you have to ruin the moment?" His eyebrows rose.

"We were having a moment?" he asked.

"No, I meant…Aw damn, you are impossible!" She stalked off, fuming. She didn't even completely comprehend why she was mad.

Draco grinned to himself. _Ha! She likes me. _His grin faded. _Wait! That's not necessarily a good thing. _He followed her, easily keeping up with her pace.

"What Malfoy?" she asked without looking.

"What do you mean 'what Malfoy'? I was just kidding. Why are you mad anyway?" He couldn't lose her now, not so quickly. His depression was gone when he was with her. There were no hallucinations, no weird memories (well, not that many), no hate; just comfort and excitement.

"We were actually being nice to each other. No dashing to the other end of the hallway when we see each other. No sneering or name-calling," she ranted. "I was beginning to think… oh never mind."

Draco grabbed her hand again, to stop her. She turned to face him. "What? You were beginning to think what?"

"I don't know that we were getting along. After, what, six years?"

"Well, we are. Aren't we?" He grinned at her confused expression.

"I guess so." There was a moment of silence. Neither one of them spoke. They just looked at one another, trying to decipher the other's expression. She smiled. "Come on, let's go back downstairs."

"Wait." She turned to face him. "Mistletoe." He leaned down and kissed her. _Ha! Twice in one day! I'm on a roll. _When he pulled away, he smiled. "Now, we can go." He laced his fingers with hers and led her down to the Great Hall.

_Hermione_

Hermione Granger dared not to loosen her hand from Malfoy's, for fear of waking up. The way she saw it, she was dreaming. She was in a deep, way too pleasant to be real life dream. Earlier, she was slightly scared of the kiss she shared with Malfoy at breakfast. Scared, because she secretly liked it. Afraid of what her friends might think if she gave into the longings of her body and started dating Draco Malfoy, Hermione had tried to block the thoughts out completely. The events of Saturday were not helping in the least bit. She had fallen further, if possible, for Malfoy and he seemed to be enjoying it.

Despite the good feelings, Hermione couldn't help thinking about tomorrow, Sunday. Would Draco turn back into the cold mess he had been for the past few months? Would he pretend that nothing was going on between them? Or her worst fear: Malfoy had only led her on for some kind of bet. For all these reasons and many others that went through her head, Hermione was afraid of Sunday and what it would bring.

As they started to see other prefects, Malfoy loosened his grip on her hand but he did not let go. He looked down at her and smiled. His smile sent shivers through her body and melted her heart. _Jeez this is crazy!_

"We should probably hurry to dinner now." He looked reluctant to leave. Hermione only nodded.

"Sure," she said, barely audible.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," She smiled to reinforce what she was saying.

"Hermione!" She turned to see Ginny headed their way. "Hermione, I finally found you." she looked at Hermione's hand tangled in Malfoy's and smiled. They quickly let go.

"I've I gotta go, see you later," He dashed off. Hermione looked after him.

"Wow, that was quick," Ginny said, still grinning.

"I gave up. I tried to tell myself 'no' but my body worked of its own accord."

"Good idea."

"I still don't understand how I am randomly attracted to him, but apparently that doesn't matter."

"That's right!" Ginny agreed.

"You know, you are supposed to be the one telling me that he's no good for me and that I should drop him before it gets anywhere," Hermione informed.

"Really, I wasn't aware of that." The two girls walked into the newly decorated Great Hall together. "I thought that was Ron's job." Hermione snorted.

"Yeah, Ron's job," she mumbled, a grin creeping across her face.

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's just eat."

_Draco _

Draco sped off toward his friends, far away from Hermione Granger. He slid into a seat next to Blaise.

"Hey," he said cheerily. He was going crazy, but he liked it. It felt good, like, well, there was no real way to explain, it just felt really good.

"What's with your happiness?" Blaise asked surprised.

"No reason," Draco said pleasantly.

Blaise's eyebrows shot up. "Well that's interesting," he mumbled.

"Have you seen Pansy?" Draco asked.

"No, not since putting up decorations." He shook his head. "She had to go with Weasley." Blaise snickered. "That would've been fun to watch."

Draco laughed, _you have no idea. _

"What's so funny?" Pansy and Gwyn slid into their seats.

"Nothing," Blaise glanced at Draco and smiled mischievously.

"So how was the decorating?" Gwyn directed her question more to Draco than to anyone else. "It must have interesting."

"Oh yes it was," Draco looked at Pansy, who wasn't paying attention to any of them.

"Well, I got stuck with Lavender," Blaise said.

"She is your partner for the year."

"I know but she's so weird."

Gwyn sighed. "She is only weird because you don't know her very well."

"Oh really?" Blaise stared at her. "She's weird because she keeps coming on to me." This last statement signaled a burst of laughter. "What? This isn't funny, it's scary, creepy actually."

"Blaise…(laughter)…That is…(more laughter)…Oh my god…(extra amounts of laughter)…that is…HAHAHA…so FUNNY!" Pansy laughed harder as she tried to breathe. Blaise stared at her in disbelief.

Draco wiped a happy tear from his eyes. "Wow, that's pretty sad."

"It's creepy, that's what it is," Blaise said. "She keeps hitting on my and it's so obvious. I wouldn't mind that much if it was discreet; then I could pretend nothing was going on."

"I feel terrible for you," Pansy smiled as she said this. "Well to the subject, for your benefit of course," she nodded toward Blaise. "Where's my money?"

"What do you mean? You have to complete your side of the bargain to get money."

Pansy grinned. "You already did it?!" Blaise almost screamed.

"Yes I did, during the mistletoe decorations," Pansy looked proud of herself.

"That's not fair, you could be lying," Blaise pouted. "How do I know you actually did it?"

"You don't."

"Then, I'm not paying."

"Fine, I'll do it again so you can watch."

"Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?" Gwyn interrupted Blaise and Pansy's argument.

"Nope; I don't either," Draco was staring at his two friends in awe. _Did Pansy kiss Weasley for a bet? Well that explains it. But, if it was a bet, why was she making out with him? I would think that if she made a bet to kiss him, it would be a smaller kiss. Unless, of course, the bet was that she had to make out with Weasley. _

"I bet Pansy that she wouldn't have the guts to kiss Weasley," Blaise informed.

"Oh." Gwyn looked at Draco and raised her eyebrows. He shrugged. They watched Pansy and Blaise start another argument. "So what happened to make you so happy?"

Draco looked at his cousin. She was always too nosy for her own good. "Nothing really." She didn't look the least bit satisfied with his answer. He sighed. "I kissed Granger again."

"Big surprise there," she mumbled.

"Twice."

Gwyn's eyes widened. "Wow, moving up on the scale, are we?" she looked at him with mock surprise. "When are you going to get it? When will you finally realize that maybe kissing Hermione is a good thing?"

"How would it be a god thing?"

Gwyn rolled her eyes and sighed. "Have you been depressed at all today?"

"No."

"Any hallucinations, bad memories?"

"Only one bad…actually it was a good memory but it kind of hurt."

"See, you were with her for part of the day and look what she does to you." Gwyn smiled. "You are completely elated just by looking at her."

"I am not."

"Oh really? What about at Hogsmead? Whenever we saw her you stared with that stupid grin on your face," she paused to let it sink in. "And now, after spending hours decorating with her, you are happier than Payedon when Raine gives her piggyback rides."

Draco laughed at the analogy. He was that happy. Maybe she was right. Maybe Hermione was what would bring him out of depression.

**Ha-ha! I'm done another chapter. Now I feel accomplished. Don't worry; they're not getting together that easily. REVIEW! (Or I'll hunt you down and…)- dun,dun,dun! Bubyes!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! DON'T ask...(cries)...it's a sensitive subject. **

**Boo! Ha, done another chapter. And it's long, I'm doin' good for myself. Not really, but that's okay. Read and ponder what you've read and then…..REVIEW. Haha I scare even myself sometimes. **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 11- Empty Corridors and Midnight Movies **

Draco Malfoy lay awake on his bed. He was on his back with his head rested on his arms, staring at the ceiling. His nightmares were at bay but he couldn't sleep. He was thinking, of course. Saturday had been so weird, yet exhilarating. He cradled the new memories of that day in his mind. What was happening to him? He had only felt like this with one person, Lisa. Then, he was in love. Now was the same but different.

He felt the same and that was why he had determined that he was in love with Hermione Granger. The difference was that, with Lisa he was never depressed. With Hermione, depression still loomed over him. He never knew when it would start up again. For the moment, he was free, happy. But that was for the moment; it could change at any point in time. He wondered why he was still so depressed. Then he remembered what Gwyn had said: _"Maybe there's something you need to remember so your mind is raking through all the memories to find it." _That had to be it, what else could it be? His new problem was finding out what it was that he needed to remember.

Draco sat up and looked at the clock on his bedside table. It was one AM. "This is hopeless, I'll never figure out what I'm supposed to be remembering," he groaned. "I'll never be able to fall back to sleep."

He flopped back on the bed. What was he going to do? He couldn't sit there thinking his brains out. He needed to be occupied. Draco pulled himself up. There had to be something to do until he fell asleep.

He dragged himself out of his room and into the darkened hallway. The silence intensified his awareness to a point that annoyed him. He heard every single little sound. He heard the odd whimper Hermione made in her sleep and the creaking of the floor boards under his feet. The sounds of the blizzard outside reached him more intensely than the other sounds; tree branches whacked the window, the powerful wind whistled it's own tune continuously.

Draco sighed and walked downstairs. He wandered off to a spacious living room, which he had never been in during his time at school. The room was filled with comfortable couches and chairs, glass coffee tables and a large marble looking fireplace.

He wandered around the room and found that the fireplace already had wood ready to be burned. He silently ran back to his room; grabbing a blanket, his wand and a pillow. He was sure to fall asleep in that room.

He came back to the room, lit a fire with his wand and sat on the couch closest to the fireplace. He shoved the pillow behind his head and draped the blanket over himself. He stared into the fire for what seemed like forever.

"Now, what?" An idea hit him and he summoned (with his wand, of course) his rarely used laptop, which was given to him as a Christmas present from relatives he never knew he had. There was already a DVD in it from the last time he used it, which was quite recently.

He turned on the odd muggle tool and played the DVD. Déjà vu started to play immediately. Draco sat there, cozy for barely ten minutes before he felt the presence of another person in the room with him. He dreaded looking to see who it was. He was so afraid that he would start hallucinating again.

Draco finally braved turning to look after a short argument with himself. He barely had to turn to see Hermione sit next to him, holding a cup of steaming hot chocolate. A sigh of relief escaped him.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked.

"Nope," he said.

"What are you watching?"

"Déjà vu," he answered. "Some storm, huh?"

"Yeah, that's why I can't sleep," Hermione said.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here with me if you want." He was actually hoping she would.

"Sure, why not." Draco smiled and turned up the volume on his laptop. Despite the fire, the room was still relatively cold. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione shiver. He offered her the blanket and she stared at him for a minute. She looked like she was trying to decide on whether she should accept. Then, she snuggled up under the cover with him, their bodies touching ever so slightly.

"Want some?" Hermione asked, holding out her cup of hot chocolate for him. "I don't want anymore."

He hesitated and looked at her. "You sure?" he asked.

"Positive," she confirmed. She smiled and handed him the cup.

"Thanks." He smiled back. The cup was half full but still warm. He leaned down and sniffed it. He couldn't tell which smelled better; her or the hot chocolate. _Definitely her. _He smiled.

"I didn't poison it if that's what you're thinking," Hermione said with the hint of a smile. His smile widened.

"Nope, doesn't smell like you did." She laughed, sending shivers down his spine. He remembered and loved the feeling. Draco finished the liquid within five minutes.

The two sat there cuddled together watching the movie. The wind was still howling but they paid no attention to the blizzard. After about thirty more minutes, Hermione fell asleep. Her head lay against Draco's shoulder. He smiled to himself; he could get used to being with her.

Before he knew it, he was asleep as well. His head rested lightly against Hermione's. He didn't have any nightmares that night. In fact, he didn't enter any sort of dreamland. He had a peaceful sleep without bad or good memories, which end up being bad for his anxiety.

Draco woke up to the loud noise of his alarm. _How the hell can I hear that thing from down here? _He cautiously looked around. He heard the familiar soft whimper that was supposed to be a snore. It was more like a snore in training. He looked down, Hermione was still asleep on his shoulder. The butterflies in his stomach jumped to life as recognition of Saturday's events caught up with him. He felt himself blush. _Since when did that start happening? _

Draco carefully slid from under Hermione, trying not to wake her. He replaced himself with the pillow he had brought down with him. She looked so serene. For a couple of minutes, he watched the soft rise and fall of her chest. He sighed and headed to his room. He dressed quickly and left to find Pansy, Blaise or someone he normally hung out with.

He didn't get far when he heard someone call his name. Draco turned on his heel to face who had called him.

"Hey, Payedon," He smiled at his young cousin.

"You look more cheerful," she noted, smiling as well.

"Yeah, I feel more cheerful."

"May I inquire as to what has you in such a mood?" Draco grinned at this.

"No you may not. But you will anyway, won't you?" he said.

"You know I don't need to."

"I know."

She smiled and hugged him.

"I'm glad you're back," she pulled away for a minute. "Could the possible cause of this mood possibly be Miss Granger?"

"I swear, you seem more like Dumbledore's child than anyone else's. If I didn't know better I'd think you were," Draco sighed.

"Well?…"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?" she made a pouting face. He knelt down in front of her.

"Don't make that face, it might get stuck like that," he got up and began to walk away. He turned back to her, now grinning, face. "And no more mind reading," With that he left, knowing perfectly well that she wasn't going to stop mind reading.

Draco was in a good mood and knew Pansy would want to know about it. He had promised her an explanation and she owed him one as well. But Draco wasn't going to let her know that he saw her, oh no, he wanted to watch it all unfold. He found it very interesting that she was falling for Weasley. (Even if the kiss was a bet, she still looked like she liked it.) It was entirely unexpected, more so than his relationship (if you can call it that ) with Hermione.

He sped up and reached the Slytherin common room. To his surprise, Pansy was sitting by the fire. He rushed over to her, plopping into the seat across from her. She looked up from her book.

"You look happy," she commented.

"I am," He debated on how much to tell her. "Can I talk to you?" Her brow furrowed.

"Sure, I guess."

Draco launched into an explanation of his behavior for the past few months. He told her how he felt and how the anxiety pills never seemed to work. He excluded the kissing Hermione parts and the hallucinations, deciding to make her figure them out herself. She listened intently and offered advise whenever she could. Draco felt better, letting all of it off his chest, well most of it. He needed to talk to Gwyn to get all of it out, but talking to Pansy helped considerably. He had expected his mood to be demolished at the thought of the pain from the past months but he stayed jovial the entire time. Another amazing feat.

"Wow," Pansy stared at Draco. "Why didn't you tell any of us about this? We would have done anything to help you."

"I don't know. I talked to Gwyn, that helped a bit but she couldn't do much. I figured that I was alone."

"Aw, Draco," She went over and hugged him. "You are such an idiot," she smacked him in the back of the head. "You are never alone. Why would you think that?"

"Ow, sorry. I just thought that none of you guys could do anything for me."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "You are such a moron."

"Well think of it this way, I'm happier now."

"Thank GOD for that," she smiled. "Now let's hope you stay that way."

"Yes, let's," Draco got up. "Well, I'll be off."

"Where you going?" Pansy asked.

"Back to sleep," he replied with a small laugh.

"Blizzard had you up?"

"You could say that," With that he walked out.

He wasn't really going back to sleep. How could he sleep with all that was going on? He was betraying his heart by liking Hermione even though it was his heart that was leading him to her. He was betraying his mind by following his heart. Really, it was his heart that was at fault; it didn't know what it wanted. One minute, it wants to be gone with Lisa. The next, it's getting all excited about Hermione. Another minute later, it wants to be shot. Draco had decided that the indecision of his heart was what was plunging him into depression. His heart was bi-polar, so to speak. It forced him to switch moods so suddenly that he was surprised no one thought _he _was bi-polar. There were times when he wished his heart would just stop beating. That way, he wouldn't have to suffer anymore. But as Gwyn had stated, death was not an option. Maybe he could become a vampire, their hearts didn't beat.

Draco reached the dorm but paused before going through the doorway. Did he really want to spend time in there? The only reason he went back to his dorm was to be near…_I'm completely hopeless. Well, I might as well enjoy the time with her while I crave it. There's no doubt I'll hate her tomorrow. _With a sigh, he headed through the portrait.

Hermione was up, of course. She was sitting in their newly discovered living room, reading. Draco plopped down on the couch beside her. She looked at him over her book.

"Hey," he said a bit awkwardly.

"Morning!" she was way too cheery. Then again, so was he.

He grinned. "Hungry?"

"Starving," she smiled back.

"Let's go steal something from downstairs," Draco offered.

"In a minute though, I have to finish this," She seemed to be almost finished. There were only a couple of pages left.

Draco sighed and started playing with the cross that still hung around his neck. Hermione closed the book. "Finished," she said. He looked at her and smiled. She tilted her head in confusion. "I didn't know you were religious."

Draco was startled by the statement. His cheerful mood softened up to sadness. "I'm not," He stood up, debating on whether to tell Hermione why he wore the crucifix. "Lisa gave it to me."

Hermione looked down at the floor. "Sorry," He stared at her. The look of sadness on her face tugged at his heart. He wanted to cheer her back up.

He reached out and lift her head. He stared into her brown eyes and smiled. "Don't be."

After a minute, she smiled back. "Let's go," He offered her his arm, grinning his famous grin. She took it without hesitation.

"When is the winter dance?" Hermione asked more for conversation than because she cared.

"Dunno," Draco replied, leading her out the dorm. "We'll probably have to re-decorate," They both smiled at the thought of Pansy and Ron.

"Can I ask you something?" Hermione asked. "It's sort of personal," she added.

He was afraid to answer. "I guess," he said uncertainly.

"What's been with you for the past few months?"

Draco visibly stiffened. He knew she'd ask that sooner or later. He was hoping it'd be more later, like… never.

"I understand if you don't want to tell me," Hermione said quickly. Clearly, she noticed his change in behavior.

"Um…" _What should I do? Should I tell her the truth, or say nothing? Maybe I should tell her part of the truth. _"I'd kind of rather not talk about it," He looked at his feet. "It'll ruin my mood."

"Okay."

There was a silence between them. Draco looked out the windows as they passed through the hall. He watched the frozen lake without interest. Students were ice skating and having snowball fights, just like always. Hogwarts had always been a fun place to be, even for him.

Finally, he became fed up with the silence gnawing at his brain. "Do you know how to ice skate?" He didn't really care if she knew or not. He only asked for conversational purposes.

"No," Hermione said. "Well, I do, but I can't skate very well."

He smiled. "When it snows again I'll teach you," He was actually looking forward to it. "If you want."

"Sure," She looked a bit shocked as she said it. "why do we have to wait for it to snow?"

"Because it's more fun to skate when it's snowing," he replied.

"Oh," she said. "I didn't know you could ice skate."

"There's a lot that you don't know about me," They both burst into laughter. "Anyway, My mom taught me. My dad wasn't allowed anywhere near sharp objects so he was never with us," That was more than he intended to say. Draco felt the odd blush rise into his cheeks again. _Why the hell does that keep happening? _

"Well, I'll hold you to that."

"You have fun with that."

"I shall."

"Hey, did you talk to Weas…_Ron _about the whole mistletoe thing?" Draco said, catching himself before calling Hermione's friend 'Weasel'.

"Nope. I figured, I should just the chips fall as they may," she smiled as she said this. "Why? Did you talk to Pansy?"

"No, I decided to wait until she spilled it."

"Did she?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Nope. But I did hear her and Blaise talking about some bet that had to do with a kiss," Draco informed. "With Ron," He noticed the look of horror on her face. "She could be hiding behind that so I'm going to investigate, maybe."

"I thought you didn't care," Hermione said slyly.

"I don't. I would just liked to know so I can cut back on the Weasel jokes…for her sake."

"Mm hmm, suure," she laughed.

"What? You think I like Pansy?" he grinned slightly.

"I surely hope not," Hermione blushed as soon as the sentence escaped her lips. Draco's eyebrows arched.

"And why would you say that?" He was going to have fun with this.

"Uh…" Hermione's mouth stayed open but no sound escaped. Draco stepped closer to her, her vanilla aroma surrounding him. He grinned his most famous grin and kissed her. He secretly thanked fate that the hall was conveniently empty at that moment. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

Draco knew that kissing at that point wasn't the greatest thing to do, especially since he knew that tomorrow things would be different. He would most likely be back in his sour mood and they would grow distant, again. Then, he'd have to fix it when he was cheerful again. Or maybe he could just leave it alone after that…

That wasn't a possibility. He would crave the company of Hermione to no end. That same craving would make his depression worse. It would make his depression harder to bare. But he couldn't keep leading her on and pushing her away as his moods changed; she wasn't a rag doll. It would be selfish for him to mess with her feelings just to keep his depression at bay. She was a person with feelings, deep feelings for him at that. Was he really cruel enough to use her in such a way?

Depression or no depression, Draco felt love for Hermione. Why else would he be beating himself up for what he called 'using her'? He was either too selfish to let go of the one good thing since Lisa, or he was too in love to let go of the one good thing since Lisa. Either way you slice it, he wanted Hermione. What made him happier was that she seemed to want him back.

He pulled away from her a little, breathing heavily but grinning from ear to ear. He was surprised when she pulled him back and kissed him. This was making it so hard for him to decide on the right thing to do. How could he give up on a girl that made him feel the way he did at that moment?

_Hermione_

Hermione walked arm-in-arm with Draco Malfoy through the halls of Hogwarts. They were on their way to the Great Hall to 'steal something to eat', as Draco had put it. They were talking like civilized people which was something that didn't change since yesterday. They had kissed twice that day and they were still talking to each other. Neither one was running away from the other, a plus in Hermione's book.

She had fallen asleep on his shoulder last night, something she didn't expect to happen. He was…sweet actually, something Hermione didn't know he was capable of. When she woke up, he was no where to be found. She wasn't surprised. What surprised her was that he came back and was still in a cheerful mood. He waited patiently for her to finish her book, fiddling with a crucifix that hung around his neck; another surprise.

Now they were speaking on normal terms. She had almost jeopardized that by asking him about his odd moods. It was a soft spot and then wasn't anywhere near the time to talk about it. She had to be patient, sooner or later he would confide in her, hopefully.

"Hey, did you talk to Weas…_Ron _about the whole mistletoe thing?" Draco said. Hermione smiled when she noticed that he corrected himself before saying Weasel or Weasley.

"Nope. I figured, I should just the chips fall as they may," she said still smiling. "Why? Did you talk to Pansy?"

"No, I decided to wait until she spilled it."

"Did she?" Hermione asked hopefully. She wanted to know if Ron and Pansy were now a couple or something.

"Nope. But I did hear her and Blaise talking about some bet that had to do with a kiss," Draco informed. "With Ron," Hermione could feel the look of horror on her face. Why would anyone do that? Of course, they were Slytherins. How could she expect better? Just because Malfoy turned out to be pretty decent didn't mean that everyone else was. Poor Ron. "She could be hiding behind that so I'm going to investigate, maybe," Malfoy said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"I thought you didn't care," Hermione said slyly.

"I don't. I would just liked to know so I can cut back on the Weasel jokes…for her sake."

"Mm hmm, suure," she laughed. Actually, she hoped that was it. Whenever Malfoy was with Pansy, she felt this odd, unidentifiable anger well up in her chest.

"What? You think I like Pansy?" he grinned slightly. His grin melted her heart.

"I surely hope not," Hermione blushed as soon as the sentence escaped her lips. _What am I saying? Jeez, whenever he smiles like that I feel hopeless. _Draco's eyebrows arched.

"And why would you say that?" He was messing with her and she could tell, yet still his smile rendered her speechless.

"Uh…" Hermione's mouth stayed open but no sound escaped. He stepped closer. His sweet smell rushed into her nose. He smiled that smile again, the amazingly gorgeous one that made her knees feel weak. He got that look in his eye that she noticed he got whenever he wanted to kiss her. It always appeared in his eyes just before he leaned down to kiss her. Before she knew what was happening, his mouth was linked to her, still open, mouth. Automatically, she kissed back, not caring that they would hate each other again in a matter of days.

Soon they would be back to Malfoy and Granger, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. These two days would soon become just memories. She would hate their time apart and look forward to his rare good moods. She would hate him on the outside but secretly crave his company. She would entertain fantastic daydreams that would be nothing but daydreams. She would desperately wish that things were different but her wishes would be just that, wishes.

Never, in her life, had Hermione felt the way she did with Draco Malfoy with anyone else. He made her feel special, loved. Not that she didn't feel loved with her friends and family, but the love she felt with Malfoy was different. It was the kind of love that everyone wants but only some get. He never said it out loud and neither did she, but she could feel the love in every kiss they shared. She even saw it in his eyes a couple of times, usually right before he kissed her.

Now was no different. She lost herself in the passionate kiss. She let his love envelop her in it's warm embrace. There was no where she'd rather be than right there with him.

He pulled away just a little. He was breathing heavily but still smiling his smile. Hermione's breath came in short, heavy bits, like after a long run. She smiled and pulled Malfoy closer, resuming their make out session.

Malfoy put his hands on her neck, just below her jaw, pulling her closer. His touch tickled her skin in such a way that she could not resist him. They backed into the wall of the deserted hallway, their bodies mashed together. She heard him say her name. It was barely a whisper but she took delight in it all the same.

Could she really stand not talking to him for however long his odd moods lasted? Could she take not feeling his presence? He would be there but not really. He would be the old Malfoy; the stubborn, wimpy, malicious, moronic, name-calling Malfoy that he had been since first year. There would be no trace of the _Draco_ that had recently taken over the old Malfoy. He would be back to calling her a mudblood and she would be back to punching him.

Hermione wanted to cry. She wanted to burst into huge tears then and there, so she could be comforted by Malfoy while he still dared to comfort her. She wanted to tell him what was on her mind and she wanted him to truly listen and deny all her fears. She wanted him to tell her that he wasn't going to start ignoring her, that they could work out whatever it was that made him hate her. But she knew she couldn't cry, not then.

She pulled away from the boy that had been on her mind ever since the beginning of the school year. "You still hungry?" she asked smiling.

"Just a little," he said. "You?"

"A bit."

He took her hand in his. "Then let's go get something to eat."

On their way down, the two held the longest conversation in the history of Malfoys and Gryffindors. They talked freely with each other, surprising themselves by how easy it was to talk to one another. They talked about their favorite things, their pasts, their hopes, and many more. Draco told Hermione about his father, something he never told anyone. Hermione spoke of her family and childhood. To her surprise, Malfoy listened intently and seemed truly interested. He never interrupted her once. _Can't say that about Ron. _He laughed at her funny memories and seemed to understand her completely.

When they finally arrived at the Great Hall, she was talking about when she liked Ron. To her extreme delight, he seemed to be slightly jealous. In her eyes, if you're jealous, you usually like that person.

"You actually _liked _Weasley?" He had a scowl on his face. "What'd you ever see in him?"

Hermione laughed. "There are a lot of things I see in him that other people don't and probably won't."

At that, Malfoy stiffened. "What do you see in him now?" He looked straight ahead, not bothering to look her in the eye.

Hermione looked at him. "Does it matter? All I see in him is friendship…" Hermione grinned when his body relaxed. "for me and him anyway, but him and Pansy might be a different story," They both laughed at that.

"Well, you should probably go eat with the rest of your trio," Malfoy was looking at the Gryffindor table. She followed his gaze and saw Ron and Harry staring at them, Ginny was trying not to laugh.

"Who says I want to eat with them?" Hermione looked at Malfoy. He looked back at her confused and surprised. "I say we steal some food and run back upstairs and watch a movie."

Malfoy's eyebrows shot up. "And what, may I ask, sparked this idea?"

"Nothing really. I just don't feel like eating down here."

"And what do we tell our lovely friends?" He was smiling his smile again. Hermione felt her knees grow weak.

"Tell 'em we're working on prefect stuff or something."

"Your wish is my command." He smiled again and strode off to his table. _I love him, he is amazing. : Finally! You finally get it: Oh God, not you again. _

Hermione walked over to her friends. She was happier, if possible, than she was earlier in the day. They looked at her curiously.

"You seem happy," Ron stated.

"Thanks," Hermione said.

"Right. Where were you?" Harry asked.

"Beating up Malfoy for the bathroom," she said cheerily.

"Sounds like fun," Ron said with a snicker.

"Who won?" Ginny asked. Hermione knew that wasn't the question she was asking.

"He did," Hermione was still cheery which confused Ron even more. Ginny grinned; her question was answered.

"Why are you so happy about that?" Ron asked. Harry shot him a look that clearly said: "Don't bother, it's girl stuff." He had noticed the exchange between Ginny and Hermione.

"Because Ron, I still got to use the bathroom." Ginny started laughing as did Hermione.

"I don't get it."

"You never will Ron. It's girl stuff, I'd be afraid if you did get it," Harry said. Ron pouted.

"Well, I can't stay long, Malfoy and I have to discuss some prefect stuff McGonagall gave us," Hermione stated. She wasn't exactly lying. There was some truth in what she said; McGonagall did give them stuff to work on, but that wasn't what they were going to be doing.

"Have fun with that," Harry said halfheartedly. Ginny gave her the 'tell me everything' look and Ron just mumbled under his breath.

Hermione stood and headed for the door. She waited there for Malfoy. He was talking to Gwyn and…Pansy. Hermione's stomach gave a lurch as her eyes landed on Pansy. The odd anger was there again. _It's called jealousy, hun. _Her voice was probably right, as usual, but she didn't like to believe it. What did she have to be jealous about? Malfoy was probably only talking to them because Gwyn launched one of her hour long conversations. Pansy hade nothing to do with it. _Weren't you the one who said that, and I quote, 'when you're jealous, that means that you really like that person': Shut up, I am not jealous. There is nothing to be jealous about. : Suure. _

Hermione watched Malfoy attempt to break up the conversation. When he finally gave up on his seventh try, Gwyn grinned. She said something and Pansy turned to see Blaise. At that moment, Gwyn whispered something in Malfoy's ear. He looked up and his eyes met Hermione's. She smiled and he smiled back. He said something to Gwyn and walked away.

"Sorry, Gwyn launched into one of her 'conversations'," Draco said when he reached Hermione. "What's wrong?" He noticed the odd look on her face.

"Nothing, spacing out," she grinned sheepishly.

"Alright, off on our adventure," he stated as they headed back to their dorm. "I brought snacks," he pulled out four odd looking pastries. Hermione shook her head laughing.

"You are one weird person."

"So I've been told."

They talked and joked on their way to their dorm, they took the long way again. They joked so much that Hermione felt like she was with Harry or Ron and not her supposed 'worst enemy'. Before now she had never known that Malfoy could laugh or joke without someone at the butt of it all. She never knew he was fun or entertaining or interesting at the very least. He was even easier to talk to than Ginny was. There was just one topic that he wouldn't even think about approaching. Ironically, it was the same topic she wanted to know about the most.

For now she was content with them just talking like they were friends. She desperately hoped they would still be friends tomorrow. She couldn't think of tomorrow, it brought too much fear.

"What movie are we supposed to be watching now?" Draco asked when they were in the comfortable privacy of their dorm.

"Dunno," Hermione replied. "I'll go check my stock." She dashed up to her room excitedly.

Hermione rummaged through her stash of DVD's. She picked out five movies that she thought he would like and ran back down to the living room. "Pick whichever one you want to watch," she said. She held up the movies up so he could see them. She brought down comedies since Draco seemed to like to laugh (and she liked to hear him laugh). She held up Drop Dead Gorgeous, Big Daddy, Mr. Deeds, Happy Gilmore, and Better Off Dead.

"Adam Sandler fan, huh?" Malfoy said with a laugh.

"I guess. You know what, we should watch Drop Dead Gorgeous," Hermione suggested.

"Great, let's go."

They sat on the couch and opened Draco's laptop. "Is this really sappy?" he asked.

"No, it's funny though," Hermione assured. She pressed the play button.

"Popcorn!" Draco suddenly screamed.

"Wow, that was random," Hermione giggled. He grinned at her and got up to get popcorn. He came back just in time for the movie.

They sat close to each other again. This time their bodies did touch, but only a little. Draco seemed to like all the movies they watched. The two laughed together until they cried and then they laughed some more. By the time it was five, they had two movies left.

Malfoy got up and stretched. "Jeez, I feel so stiff."

"Sitting for six hours can do that to you," Hermione replied with a grin.

"Wow, We sat there for that long?" he asked incredulously. She nodded.

"huh," he said thoughtfully. "Let's watch the rest."

Hermione sat with Draco Malfoy, watching the last two movies. She loved being with him and didn't want to leave him, especially since they wouldn't be on speaking terms the next day.

They watched the movies, talked more and went to eat dinner with their separate friends. On their way back to their dorms, they took the long way again; to spent more time together. Hermione was exhausted when she and Malfoy finally went to bed (in their own _**SEPARATE **_beds, might I add- for all you dirty minded people...cough, cough...BECCA!...cough, cough, choke).

That night, she stayed up despite her exhaustion. She was too afraid that when she woke up, Draco would turn back into _Malfoy_. He was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Maybe he _did_ have split personalities. No one could ever be sure. Hermione fell asleep with regret and fear. Regret, because she didn't want to sleep. Fear, because she was scared of the following day and for good reason.

**Kay, I'm done with this chapter. I hope you liked. R&R. DO IT, DO IT NOW. (just press the button and say something really nice- it can be random too, I like randomness). The next few chapters are going to make me cry so they might be a little late. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, this chapter is pretty sad, for me anyway. I wanted to cry during the dream but it's not that bad. It didn't make me cry as much as I thought I would so that's good. Enjoy!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 12- Exposed **

Gwyn led Draco, Ron, Harry and Hermione through the forest. Draco now had new bloody bandages around his arm. Gwyn muffled a hiss that threatened to escape from her lips. She hated blood for one reason, she was far from being immune to it. Her heightened senses could smell, see, hear and even taste blood from miles away. Sometimes she saw her abilities as gifts, other times they were curses.

Raine had once said that to be the greatest any vampire could be was to accept yourself and to better yourself where you needed improvement. Gwyn reminded herself that everyday. She was in the process of bettering herself but for some reason, she could never accept who she was. Sure, she seemed sure of herself in the eyes of others, but that wasn't what mattered.

"Draco stop whining," Gwyn said. She had heard his thoughts; another perk of being who she was.

"I'm not whining," he retorted through gritted teeth.

"Why didn't you let me treat that while we were still home?" Gwyn asked. Her cousin was inhumanly stubborn. He had come to her for help and then refused to accept it until he got the three tagalongs back to safety. She was forced to bring the cure with her on their journey.

"You know why," Draco replied. She rolled her eyes. _Why does he insist on being so cryptic all of the time?_

"At least we're almost there," Gwyn said.

"Where are we going?" Hermione spoke for the first time since they left the vampire city.

"Somewhere you seem to be quite comfortable."

There was a few minutes of silence. Then, they broke through the trees and into a clearing. Harry, Ron and Hermione noticed where they were instantly. The Burrow sat peacefully in front of them.

"Very comfortable indeed," Gwyn said, admiring the homey farm-like area. They began to walk toward the house. "God Draco! You are killing me!" Everyone looked at Gwyn. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a large breath as she did so. "Please just let me stop the bleeding at least."

Draco looked down at the bandages on his left arm grimly. "Sorry, you can fix it in a minute." His face blanched. Harry looked at him curiously.

"Honestly, you think of me as the most level-headed person in the world but I'm not," Gwyn informed. "When it comes to blood, I can be as ruthless as the rest of the vampire nation," She too looked at Draco with concern. "Draco are you okay?"

He turned a pale green and fell over, down the hill they were on. Gwyn was in front of him in a flash. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed soon after.

"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked in a shaky voice. She hated Draco but she also hated seeing people die in front of her. Gwyn looked at her cousin, he was out cold. His skin had a tint of yellow with the green. She knelt down and pulled him into her arms. She leaned down and sniffed his skin, grimacing.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"Damn! He should have let me take care of him when I had the chance."

"Is he dead?" Harry asked.

"No, but close to it," Gwyn replied. "If I don't give him the cure soon, he'll be gone."

"Do you have the cure?" Hermione asked, worried.

"Yeah but now I have to wait for the right moment," Gwyn said. "Do you think I could take him in there to help him out?" she asked. Ron nodded, looking like he would puke. Gwyn put her ear to Draco's chest. "At least he's still breathing." She picked him up and followed Ron toward the house.

"What do you have to wait for?" Hermione asked.

"For this particular curse, I have to wait until the poison spreads a little more," Gwyn said, trying to battle her panic.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"Very, but we have no other choice," She wanted to cry as she said this. They walked into the back door and were greeted by a plump woman in an apron.

"Ronald Weasley! Where have you been?" she demanded sternly.

"Not now, mum. We have a crisis," Ron said, slightly afraid of what might happen after the comment. Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to say something but closed it when she saw Draco's limp body in Gwyn's arms.

"Oh dear. What happened?" she asked pushing past her son.

"He's been poisoned," Gwyn replied. "Is there a clean flat surface we can use?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded. With the flick of her wand, the kitchen table was cleared of all the dishes it once held. Gwyn proceeded to set Draco down.

"What kind of poison is it?" Ron's mother asked.

"The Silent Death. That's not the most accurate translation but it's close enough," Gwyn opened Draco's shirt and pulled it off his bloody arm. She winced as the rusty metallic smell hit her hard. She backed up a little. "Harry, will unwrapped that please?" She looked at the bandages with disgust.

Harry understood her request and obeyed without hesitation. The blood immediately started gushing again. Gwyn covered her nose and closed her eyes for a minute.

"Gwyn, are you going to be able to do what you need to do?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, just give me a minute," She took two slow breaths and let go of her nose. "Alright, Hermione I need flowers; petals, leaves, stems, whatever you can find." Hermione rushed outside. "I need damp cloths."

Mrs. Weasley rushed around the kitchen, wetting three white cloths. Gwyn rummaged through her bag and pulled out a bottle of red liquid. "Ron, what color is his chest?"

"Huh?" Ron looked at her oddly.

"What color does his chest look?"

"Um, kind of orangish," Ron said peeking at Draco's chest.

"That's a somewhat good sign," Gwyn said. Hermione came back in the house holding a handful of plants. "Harry, see if you can stop the bleeding. Hold one of the cloths to the wound."

Harry did as he was told and applied pressure to the wound. "Once it stops bleeding a little, tell me what the cut looks like."

Gwyn turned to Hermione and managed a smile. "Thank you," she took the plants and threw them into a bowl. Turning to Ron's mother, she asked: "May I have something to ground the plants and another bowl to mix it all in?" Mrs. Weasley nodded and handed her what she needed. "Hermione, ground those plants for me."

Gwyn opened the bottle she snatched from her bag and poured its contents in the bowl Mrs. Weasley gave her. She poured water in along with it. "It's a good thing I like potions," she laughed a little. "Harry, cut status."

"It's really deep, I can see the bone."

"That's not a good sign."

"Oh MY GOD!" Ron exclaimed. "He's turning this weird purplish color!"

Gwyn whipped around and stared at her cousin's body. His breathing was barely there and his eyes were rolled to the back of his head. "Hermione give me the plants please," she said urgently. Hermione handed her the now mashed plants. Gwyn dumped them into the bowl with the other ingredients. She went to her bag again and pulled out a knife. "Hermione, this is going to sound really weird but we have no time to argue about it. I need your blood."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Wha…Why?"

"Out of everyone in this room, you are the only one who's blood type is anywhere close to his. I can't because I have no blood to give," Gwyn answered. "I know, ironic that the muggle born has the same blood type as the pureblooded Slytherin, but like I said, there isn't enough time to explain."

Hermione reluctantly took the knife and cut her finger. She let the blood drop in the bowl. "Thank you," Gwyn said. "Now, cover that up before I explode." Hermione quickly bandaged her cut. Gwyn mashed all the ingredients together. She walked over to Draco and dipped her fingers in the odd mixture and put it on the cut. The blood sucked itself back in his arm and he began convulsing. She stepped back a bit. She sniffed the air.

"What's going on now?" Hermione asked.

"The poison is fighting his body and the cure," Gwyn replied. She wanted to burst into tears from watching someone so close to her suffer they way Draco was. The convulsions stopped and his complexion turned pale green again. "Now it's up to his body to fight off the poison."

"You mean there's nothing we can do?" Harry asked a tad worried.

"Nothing but keep watch over him and applied cool compresses to his body, he'll need them. His temperature should rise, that means that he is fighting back."

"And if he isn't?" Hermione asked shakily.

"Than…he will gradually cool to a freezing point and die."

Hermione shivered. The death of an enemy, who died saving them, would be on her conscience forever.

Gwyn, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Mrs. Weasley and even some of the other Weasley children spent the next four hours tending to the sick Draco. They placed and replaced cloths on his forehead. They tried helping him during his frequent convulsions. Gwyn sat with him every minute of the four hours. By the time Arthur Weasley came home, Draco's temperature rose.

Ginny put another cloth under the cold water and placed it on Draco's head. "Hey dad!" Ginny said, thankful for a reason to be somewhat cheerful.

"Hey Ginny. What's all this?" he asked looking at Draco. Gwyn shot out of her chair.

"Sorry, he passed out and we had nowhere else to go," she apologized quickly. Mr. Weasley's brow furrowed.

"No, no, it's alright," he said staring at Draco's pale green appearance.

"Gwyn, dear why don't you go up and take a nap? You look beat," Mrs. Weasley offered motherly.

Gwyn shook her head. "No, I'm fine, I'd rather…" She put the back of her hand on Draco's forehead, looking frustrated. "Oh my god. Mrs. Weasley, could you feel his head for me."

Molly Weasley hastened over to the table and felt Draco's head. "My god, it's cold as stone!"

Harry and Ron both looked at Draco. Hermione paled considerably; she definitely didn't need to see someone die. Just thinking of it, she felt sick and ran to the bathroom. Gwyn covered her mouth with a shaking hand.

"Oh dear, get warmer towels," Mrs. Weasley ordered.

Everyone rushed around the kitchen ignoring Gwyn's stiff body. She slumped into the chair next to her cousin. She held his cold, limp hand. How would she live without Draco? He was always there for her and for him to just go and never come back made her stomach turn. They helped each other get passed the pain of their lives. He was the one who comforted her when her dad took out his anger on her. He was with her when her mother left her dad. He even fought her dad off when he tried to come back, earning himself a beating. She took him in when he ran away from home. He introduced her to the love of her life, Spencer. He helped her run away from her godforsaken boarding school. There were so many memories that they shared and all would cease if he died.

She laid her head next to his on the table. "Draco," she whispered. "You can't leave me, not right now," she looked at him. "I know you miss Lisa, I do too, but you can't give up on life. You can't leave me, you are the best friend I ever had. You have to live, you have to fight back. I don't know how I could live without you. Please don't make me have to try," She began to sob tearlessly. "Don't you remember? You promised me that you'd live as long as me, forever. You can't break that promise yet, you're not even twenty yet."

Draco's hand moved in hers. She looked at his face. For a second their eyes met. His eyes rolled back and he began to convulse. His hand went completely cold and the light left his eyes. He had left her despite her pleas.

She started to sob harder and screamed for him to come back. Fred and George ran to her side trying to calm her down. She fought their arms as they tried to hold her back, they were all holding her back, everyone was…but from what?

_Reality_

Gwyn woke up from her dreamlike state, screaming into her pillow. Even though she could never sleep, nightmares still seemed to plague her. "Gwyn, are you okay?" Pansy was at her side. Gwyn sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. "Gwyn, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, stupid dream, that's all," That wasn't all. She had been having that dream over and over again.

"Good, now you can shut up so the rest of us can get some sleep," one of the other girls in the dorm grumbled.

Gwyn felt too weak to argue. She got up and left the dorm. Pansy didn't follow, she understood what Gwyn needed.

She sat in the common room by the fire, staring into space. Before long, Spencer came down and sat next to her; he must've heard her pleading thoughts craving his company. He silently slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side. She responded by laying her head on his well developed chest. They sat there together, her curled up against his body and his warm arm wrapped around her.

That moment was one of the reasons Gwyn liked Spencer so much; he could help her solve her problems without saying anything. Spencer always seemed to know when she needed him and she felt safe with him. He was both more mature and more immature than people his age, but he was more mature more often than immature. He understood her more than anyone else. Spencer was the one for Gwyn; he was the love of her life.

"Bad dream?" he finally asked. Gwyn nodded, not lifting her head from his chest. Spencer was the only person who always seemed to make her look and feel vulnerable; the way she was at that moment. "What about?" he asked soothingly.

Gwyn sighed. "Draco," she said a bit reluctantly. "There is something wrong with him. Payedon saw it coming but we still don't know what it is. It could be this depression he seems to sink into but how do we get him out of it? I've tried almost everything but nothing works. When he was with Hermione, he seemed okay, but I have this feeling that it's not over."

"Well, he's definitely depressed, we know that for sure," Spencer offered. "He could be so deep into his depression that the only thing that can pull him out is what got him in there... In short, Lisa."

"How can that be it? He's been seeing Lisa since the beginning of the year. Well, hallucinations, anyway," Gwyn said.

"Maybe to hallucinate and dream of her aren't enough," Spencer stared at the fire in deep thought. Gwyn noticed the sad look that commandeered his features.

"I'm sorry," she said. He looked at her, bewildered. "I know this is a hard topic for you to discuss."

"No, it's fine. Got to talk about her sometime right? I can't mourn her for the rest of my life, can I?" Gwyn smiled at him. He was definitely more mature than most. Lisa was Spencer's sister. They were twins actually. They were amazingly close and when she died, Spencer's heart snapped to pieces. The only thing that held him together was Gwyn.

Gwyn lifted her head and smiled. Spencer looked at her quizzically. Thinking about how Spencer was held together by the love he shared with her gave her an idea. "Oh my God! I figured it out!" she exclaimed. She leaned over and kissed Spencer. When she pulled away, he looked at her with confusion. "You are amazing! Somehow, you always end up giving me the answer to all my problems. I don't know how you do it!" she said.

All she had to do was help Draco remember to be open to love. He needed to open up his heart again. He was falling in love with Hermione but his heart was still stored away somewhere far away, scattered everywhere. It wasn't that he couldn't the pieces, it was that he didn't want to find them. Gwyn had to help him. He needed the love of Hermione to pull himself together.

"Neither do I," Spencer said, still rather confused. She smiled at him again.

"I love you," she kissed him again.

"I love you too," Spencer said into her lips.

_Monday Morning _

Gwyn and Spencer raced each other down to the Great Hall. She beat him and bumped into her cousin.

"Morning Draco!" she said cheerily. One look at his face told her that it was not a good morning for him, he was back in depression. "Oh Draco, what happened? You were perfectly fine yesterday," she said.

Draco grumbled.

"Hey Malfoy!" Some Slytherin called. The young boy caught up to them. "Did you hear the latest gossip?"

"No, I don't really care for gossip," Draco said unkindly.

The boy was not at all phased by the hostility in Draco's voice. "Well, you should."

"And why is that?"

"Because it's about you, mate," the boy handed him a paper.

Gwyn watched Draco's eyes widen as he looked at the paper. "Where did you get this?" Draco growled.

"Everyone has one," the boy replied.

"Let me see," Gwyn finally demanded. She snatched the paper from Draco's hand. It was some sort of flyer with a picture of Draco and Hermione kissing in a deserted corridor. Spencer looked over her shoulder.

"Wow," he said.

"I'm going to kill her," Draco said.

"Wait, Draco. How do you know she did it?" Gwyn asked.

"Who else? We were alone in that corridor," Draco hissed in her ear, so no one could hear.

"Why would she? If you haven't noticed, this would humiliate her as well as you," Gwyn retorted.

"How?"

"This would mean that she's a traitor to the Gryffindors."

"She's got a point.," Spencer said. Draco ignored the comment and headed to breakfast.

They spent the better part of the day trying to convince Draco that being with Hermione wasn't a bad thing. They were wasted efforts considering that the depression he was in made him hostile and full of hate. The more people that asked him about the flyer, the more he convinced himself that he hated her. During a free period, they found themselves sucked into an argument started by a bunch of angry Gryffindors.

"He harassed her!" said one of the angry Gryffindors.

"I say it was blackmail!" another shouted.

"He paid her!" someone else said. "No one could pay her enough to do that!" another shouted.

"Oh please! It was all a bet!" exclaimed one of the Slytherins caught up in the verbal brawl.

"Yeah! Wasn't it Malfoy?" another Slytherin turned to Draco expectantly.

Draco's eyes widened. He had no idea which to go for: his evil answer or the truth. The answer was obvious, his depressed self was ready with the evil answer.

Gwyn saw Hermione and her friends had heard most of the argument but were far enough away so that no one would ask them anything. They too were waiting. A wave of grief hit Gwyn; she knew what Draco was going to go for and she knew how hurt Hermione would be. Before she could speak up for her cousin, he spoke for himself.

"Yeah, whatever, a bet," Draco said and left to sit with Blaise and Pansy.

Gwyn's mouth dropped. _What is he thinking?! _She caught the look of anger and hurt on Hermione's face before she turned away. _Shoot! This is going to make my job a whole hell of a lot harder. _She grabbed Spencer and headed to where her friends and moronic cousin were.

_Hermione _

After the incident during free period, Hermione ignored Malfoy. She was completely right to be afraid of this day. Her biggest fear had come true and she wanted to ring Malfoy's neck until it snapped. She hated him so much. First, there was the picture. How that happened, she would never know. Then, he said that it was all a bet. That was the cherry on the cake. Hermione never felt so humiliated in her life.

Ginny and Harry tried to cheer her up but ended up making her feel worse. Ron fumed and threatened to beat up Malfoy. Hermione was tempted to tell him to, but she wasn't sure how much he could do to someone with a body like Malfoy's. What bothered her the most was that someone saw them, someone took the picture and wanted what was happening to happen. She had no idea who it was or why they did it.

Once classes were over, she rushed to her dorm and locked herself in her room. She refused to leave it until she was sure that Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. That plan was shot to hell when he knocked and she answered.

"Why the hell would you post a picture like that?" he asked. Clearly, he was back to being Malfoy.

"Oh, I put that picture all over the school?" Hermione said angrily. _How dare he accuse me!_

"Yeah, why?" he sneered.

"For your information, I did not put that picture anywhere, you revolting slug!" she screamed.

"You're the only one who is revolting!"

"I'm also just a bet, right?! Let's all see who can make pathetic little Granger fall in love! Well mission accomplished! I hope you get paid enough for such a revolting task!" she slammed the door on his face, locked it and flopped on her bed.

Hermione lay on her bed and cried. She skipped dinner and cried more. She cried until there was nothing left in her. She cried out all the liquid. She hated Draco Malfoy because in reality, she was devastatingly in love with him.

**Sorry this was a bit short and very choppy. I just wanted to get through this part without ticking myself off about how stupid Draco has to be. But he has an excuse so it's not that bad. READ AND REVIEW! **


	13. Chapter 13

**H****ey! I know the last chapter was pretty short and so is this one. I just need to get up to Christmas break and I should be able to write a whole lot more. That should be in like two or three chapters depending on how much I write for each one. Enjoy! **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 13- Time With You I'd Like To Spend **

Two weeks into December brought the Christmas spirit to an all time high. Everyone was happy, whistling Christmas carols down the hall. Couples felt the need to follow tradition every time they were caught under mistletoe. Students were have snowball fights nonstop.

The only person with no Christmas spirit was Draco Malfoy. He was depressed, more so than he was before the fight with Hermione. She had admitted that she loved him and now she hated him. He didn't care, he was depressed. And yet, deep down he craved her company. There were times he wanted to talk to her and times when he wanted to throw her out a window. His hallucinations became worse and he hated life itself.

Gwyn and his other friends were his only refuge. Somehow, they got him to laugh and be happy, but when they were gone, there was no laughter or happiness for him. He went to class and did his homework. He ate and went to sleep, like a normal person, but he was lost. He was lost in his dreams, nightmares and memories. He was a walking mannequin.

Hermione had tons of Christmas spirit. She laughed and talked with her friends all the time. On the outside, she seemed content with everything going for her. People had forgotten all about the picture of her and Malfoy and so had she…well almost. Deep down, she wanted to be with him again. She wished that he was back to the way he was with her on those weekends. But now he was uncharacteristically mean to her…

_Gwyn _

Gwyn spotted Harry across the lawn. She jogged toward him confidently. He was bound to listen to her.

"Hey," she said. He looked up from his book.

"Hey, what's up?" he said.

"Nothing much," Gwyn said. He looked at her quizzically. "Alright, I have something to share with you."

Harry closed the book. "I'm listening."

"Right, you know how Draco has been acting throughout the year?" she asked. Harry nodded. "There's a very good reason for his behavior. You see, when Lisa died, he went berserk. Now he's in this deep depression that kind of makes him bi-polar."

"Am I supposed to believe that?" Harry asked.

Gwyn's mouth dropped. "Harry James Potter! Have I ever lied to you?"

"No," he said looking down.

"I don't lie. Why would I lie now?" He didn't answer. "What I'm telling you is the truth. Now I need to discuss this with you."

"Okay, continue."

"I assume you know he takes anxiety pills. That is a result of this depression he's in. Others are the mood swings, nightmares and hallucinations."

"He has hallucinations?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yes. The point is that Draco has fallen in love with Hermione. I know, hard to believe but it's true. The only problem is that his moods change so rapidly and not all of his moods revolve around Hermione."

"So you're saying that what he said about that paper was…"

"A lie, yes. He was in one of those moods. I'm telling you, it's like he's bi-polar," Gwyn said.

"Why are you explaining all this to me? Shouldn't you be telling Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Not yet. I have found that there is a way to fix all of this and I need you to help me."

_An hour before dinner…_

"Wait, so you want us to try and push them together?" Ginny asked. She, Harry, Blaise, Pansy, Spencer and Gwyn were discussing Gwyn's plan to fix Draco and Hermione.

"Anyway you can," Gwyn confirmed. "I'll work on Draco, I need you to work on Hermione."

"That's going to be pretty difficult," Ginny replied.

"I know, but we have to try."

"Oh, Gwyn, I figured out who posted that picture. Does it still matter?" Pansy said.

"Yes, it does."

"Well, I was in the girls bathroom and I heard some girls talking about it. Turns out, that girl Jackie Chase got mad at Draco for turning her down. She figured that he was secretly dating so she and her friends started spying on him," Pansy said. "Now she's going to ask him to Hogsmead again."

"I've always hated that girl," Gwyn muttered under her breath. "Thanks Pansy."

"No problem."

"Keep him away from her at all costs," Gwyn stated. "She might jeopardize this whole thing."

"How? He could care less about her," Blaise piped up.

"Blaise, there's a thing called jealousy," Pansy stated. "If she gets too close to him, Hermione could snap. Then she'd go date some poor shmuck to make Draco jealous. Depending on his mood that day, he'll get pissed off and there will be a huge battle."

"Well put," Gwyn said. "Blaise you're in charge of keeping that girl out of the picture."

"Do you want us to make sure Hermione doesn't attempt to date anyone else a well?" Ginny asked.

"If you could, that'd be great. We don't need an onslaught."

"I have a way we could get them together," Spencer said.

_Hermione_

Hermione sat in the library reading. The library was the only place she felt comfortable enough to think. She despised thinking at this point but she had to do it anyway.

She was so engrossed in her book that she didn't even notice the small white envelope that seemed to appear on the table next to her. It was sitting with a small box of chocolates. She saw it out of the corner of her eye. Curious, she picked it up. Hermione opened it and pulled out the small sheet of paper. In neat script it read:

_Hermione, _

_True love has blinded me,_

_For I can not see, _

_Past the beauty you lay in front of me. _

_You have been hurt beyond repair,_

_But you hurt my by not being there. _

_Every night I think of you, _

_I think of how to comfort you. _

_I wish this boundary between us would end _

_For time with you I'd like to spend. _

Hermione gasped as she read it. She picked up the box of chocolates, they were her favorite kindShe walked out of the library in a daze. Who would send her something so sweet? She didn't even pay attention to what time she was going to her dorm, something she started doing to get away from Malfoy. This, of course was a mistake. As soon as she walked into the dorm, she bumped into him.

"Sorry," he mumbled and picked up her books. He hadn't said that for such a long time that Hermione was caught off guard. Was he finally back to the Malfoy she loved? She looked at him. He looked lost and upset.

"Are you okay?" Now was her turn to catch him off guard. He looked bewildered by the question. He handed her books to her.

"I'm fine."

Hermione's heart sank when she heard the coldness in his voice. "Thanks." He walked away. How was she ever going to get used to him ignoring her? Even in previous years, he talked to her, although for rude purposes.

Honestly, she missed him. She had a chance to get to know the real Draco Malfoy, or what she thought was real, and she missed it. She found comfort in speaking to him but now he didn't even like looking at her. She told herself that she hated him and that she would never speak to him or forgive him ever again. That was a lie.

Hermione was brought out of her thoughts when Ginny came in. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," Hermione replied. "Look!" she excitedly handed Ginny the note. She watched as she read it.

"Oh my God!" Ginny said, truly surprised.

"I know," Hermione said.

"Jeez, who do you think wrote it?"

"I don't know. The only guy who knows my favorite chocolates is…" she stopped herself. If she said what she wanted to say, then she would get her hopes up and be thoroughly disappointed. "I don't think anyone really knows my favorite chocolates."

Ginny frowned. "Hmm, well I guess it's a mystery."

"I guess so."

**Sorry this is kind of short. I need to get past this fight (which is only slightly pointless) and then they can be together, sort of. READ AND REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! I know the last two chapters have been kind of weird but it only gets weirder. The good thing is that it becomes good weird. I know Draco's being a butthead but there's always got to be some hardship blocking their path. True love gets through, right? Hang in there, if I can do it, so can you. Enjoy!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 14- Love Letters **

Pansy grinned at Spencer as he wrote. "You are amazing!" she exclaimed. He smiled. They were sitting in the library together; Spencer was writing love letters while Pansy and Blaise were watching him. His brilliant idea was to send secret letters to Hermione. He was putting in enough clues to show that they were from Draco and no one else. She would think it was Draco and she'd have to forgive him. Gwyn was supposed to convince Malfoy to come to his senses and try to win Hermione back. The whole thing was completely confusing but still amazing.

"Thank you. People seem to keep telling me that lately," Spencer said.

"That's because it's true."

"I guess so."

Blaise stood behind them mocking their conversation.

"I never knew you were so poetic," Pansy marveled.

Spencer laughed. "Yeah, not many people know."

"Does Gwyn?"

"Yeah," he stopped for a minute and smiled thoughtfully. "That was the first time we started dating."

"Aw, you wrote her poems?" Pansy asked.

"Yup, and sent her all this crap," he resumed his writing.

"That is so cute. I wish a guy would do that for me."

"Maybe one will."

Pansy snorted. "Yeah, in my dreams."

"Hey, you never know," he finished the letter. "Okay, we'll give this to her tomorrow or sometime today."

Pansy stood and they left library. "Where are you off to?"

"I'm going to find Gwyn, I need to talk to her. Seeya," he waved and jogged down the hall.

"Oh, what about you, Blaise?"

"Nowhere in particular," he said bored, but happy that they had stopped talking about how great _Spencer _was. Who cared if he could write poetry? Certainly not him.

"Good, we can go pretend to care about prefect duties and attend that nonsensical meeting about nothing whatsoever," Pansy said and grabbed his arm.

"Aw man, I was planning to play sick," Blaise whined.

"Oh well, not anymore."

Blaise groaned as he reluctantly followed his crazed friend. They were only a little late for the meeting, due to the combination of Pansy's pushiness and Blaise's laziness.

Malfoy came later than expected. He looked terrible and yet, he still looked gorgeous. Pansy blocked the thought out of her mind. She used to think she was madly in love with him and she would try so hard to please him. She was even jealous of Lisa. Now, Pansy knew that they were just friends. And as a friend, she hated seeing him look so terrible.

During the meeting, he and Hermione only talked to each other when necessary and even then, they never looked at each other when they spoke to one another. Pansy hated that she had to find out about Draco's hallucinations and secret love by someone other than himself. She was pissed off at him because he never even bothered to tell her. She told him over and over that he could tell her anything, but he refused to confide in her. It wasn't really any of her business but she still liked to think they could trust each other enough to tell the other anything. Clearly, she was wrong.

She glared at Malfoy the entire time. He seemed to notice after a while. He gave her a pleading look but her gaze never faltered. She was pissed and for good reason. Only once did her dark eyes turn from her friend. She looked at Ron when he handed her a paper, which she never looked at. Their eyes met for a long minute. Somehow, looking at him made her feel less angry. He looked so innocent and-and…_cute_. _God! What am I thinking? _

Pansy looked away quickly. She had enough weirdness for a lifetime in the past few weeks, and she didn't need anymore. After the meeting, Draco caught her before she left.

"Hey," he said. He really did look terrible, especially close up. It wasn't the type of terrible that people who didn't hang out with him would notice, it was something only his friends could pick up. He was flustered and panicky. Truth be told, Pansy felt bad for him.

"Hey," she said without slowing down.

"I know you're mad at me," he said.

"Gee, you think?"

"Pansy, I'm sorry. I-I just want to thank you for putting your anger aside for so long."

"Wow!"

"Listen, I didn't tell you because it wasn't something I wanted to brandish in front of everyone," he seemed truly sorry but she wasn't giving in, not just yet.

"Oh? Because telling your friend is brandishing it?"

"God da--it, Pansy! Do you realize how hard it is for me to talk about this?" he yelled. She looked at him skeptically. His tone softened, "I don't like talking about her, okay."

Pansy stopped. "Just tell me one thing," she said. He sighed and nodded. "Did you love her?" At this, he thought. The look that came across his face made Pansy want to hug him. He looked like he was about to cry.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, at least I thought so."

Pansy frowned. "Then, why did you agree with those morons? Why did you hurt her like that?"

"Please, don't make me talk about it, not right now," Pansy saw his eyes tear up. "I promise that I will explain everything to you but I can't right now, okay?"

She couldn't take anymore. She hugged him, shattering her stern look to pieces. "Fine, but you have to tell me everything, when you're ready."

"Thanks," Draco hugged her back.

Pansy spent the rest of the day dreading her post with Ron a.k.a. the Weasel. She avoided him all day. Her reasons?…close to none.

On her way to her post, Ginny Weasley caught her. "Hey," she said. Pansy looked at her, shocked to say the least.

"You do know that if anyone sees us talking together they'll think we are conspiring, right?" she asked. Ginny ignored the comment.

"I was just wondering if you found out who took that picture yet," Ginny said.

"Nope, not yet."

"Well, let me know if you do," Ginny rushed back down the hall again.

Pansy shook her head and headed to her post. Ron had already started when she got there. They separated to their respective ends of the hall as they usually did. She liked this operation, it gave her time to think things through.

Pansy's post was uncharacteristically boring. She did nothing but stand around yelling at students out of bed. She sat down, humming Christmas carols. Before she knew it, she was being shaken awake by Ron Weasley.

"Parkinson!" he growled.

"Hmm?" she said sleepily.

"Get up!"

Pansy sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Wha-what time is it?"

"3 AM," Ron replied. "You fell asleep on your post."

"Oh, just le' me sleep some mo'," she pleaded.

"No, come on, get up," Ron insisted. She made no move to get up. "If you do not get up right now, I'm going to leave you here."

"Kay, bye," she said and drifted to sleep again.

Ron sighed and picked her up. "Can't believe I'm doing this," he grumbled. "You better be really asleep."

Pansy shivered at the touch of Ron. He felt so warm and she immediately sunk into his arms. "Yeah," Pansy mumbled. She wasn't conscious enough to comprehend the question. Nevertheless, she answered.

Ron seemed to find that amusing. "Yeah what? Yeah, you're asleep? Or yeah, you're faking?" he said.

"Yeah sure," she mumbled back.

He laughed. _If she were like this all the time, I might actually like her. She should be half-conscious more often. _

"Mm, you smell good," she said, dazed. Ron stopped. Now she was definitely unconscious.

"Um, thanks, I guess."

"You wel-welcome," she mumbled. "And you're warm."

"You feeling okay?" Ron asked slightly worried.

"No."

Ron grinned at that answer. Pansy seemed so helpless when she was tired, then again who didn't? He desperately hoped that a Slytherin would come and take their member off his hands. She was starting to weird him out. His prayers were answered when he saw Malfoy and Hermione just finishing their posts.

"Hey, Malfoy!" he jogged toward them. Malfoy turned to him. Ron dumped Pansy in Malfoy's un-expecting arms.

"Wha-"

"She fell asleep and wouldn't wake up to take herself to her dorm," Ron explained, he had noticed the questioning looks on both Hermione's and Malfoy's faces. "I trust you know where to take her, have fun."

Malfoy nodded and stalked away.

The next time Pansy woke up, she was in the Great Hall, attempting to eat. _How did I get down here? _She looked around, Blaise stared at her curiously.

"What's with you?" he asked. "You've been sleeping for forever."

"Dunno, I'm just really tired all of a sudden," Pansy replied honestly. She was tired. Every night, she stayed up and worried about how they were going to fix what was going on. With that and her odd feelings toward Ron Weasley, Pansy was completely overwhelmed.

Ginny sped down the hallway, she had to hurry. There was something going terribly wrong with their plan. Someone was interfering with what they were doing. A week had past since they set their plan into action. Christmas was looming over them like a plague. Gwyn had said that she needed them semi-together by Christmas break and her expectations were about to be shattered.

Ginny had found out that some of the secret notes didn't fit the criteria of the others. They came with chocolates and jewelry while Spencer's came alone and had more love in them. It was all happening right under her nose and she had never even noticed.

Ginny headed to Sirius's office. She needed another opinion and who better than her favorite teacher. She skidded into his office, almost falling over. Sirius jumped when he saw her.

"When the bloody hell did you get here?" he asked bemused.

"I need your help," Ginny said, ignoring his question.

"Okay, I guess," he shifted in his chair.

"Alright read this," Ginny pulled out one of the letters she brought with her. Sirius read it twice before giving it back with a questioning look. "Now read this," she handed him the one she _knew _Spencer wrote.

Sirius took a minute read it and whistled. "Is there some kind of contest between these two guys? Are they trying to win Hermione's heart or something?" he asked.

Ginny grinned. "Sort of, I just needed your opinion on what it sounded like," Before he could comment on that, she ran out and headed off to find Gwyn and the others.

Sirius had definitely confirmed her fears. He wasn't the biggest romantic in the world but even he knew what the two letters suggested. Whoever was writing the other letters could really destroy their whole operation.

_Gwyn _

Gwyn watched Spencer finish off another letter. She was stalling, actually. She was supposed to convince Draco how stupid he was to make himself lose Hermione like he did. Only problem was that she had no idea of how to tell him. Sure, she was Gwyn, never afraid of anything and too bold for her own good. Now she was totally lost; she did have a single clue as to how to help her cousin.

She couldn't even keep the other girls off of him. Everywhere she went, she saw one of those heathens trying to make a move on him. She managed to knock some of them out but she couldn't keep doing that.

"Gwyn, stop stalling do what you have to," Spencer said. Easy for him to say. He wasn't the one with a moron for a cousin.

"I'm not stalling…I'm thinking."

"Then, think faster. The faster you do this, the quicker they'll be together."

Suddenly, Ginny burst into the room. "We have a problem."

"How big?"

"Pretty damn big!" Ginny exclaimed. She threw the letters into Gwyn's hands. "Read them, both of them."

Gwyn read both the letters and gasped. "Spencer, you didn't write this one?" she asked. He looked at the letter in question.

"No," he said.

"God da--it! You mean this has been happening right under our noses?" she asked. Ginny nodded gravely. "This means I definitely need to hurry," She began pacing. "Ginny, keep your eyes open for anyone suspicious," Ginny nodded. "And I'll go find Draco now."

Gwyn and Ginny walked out together. They separated to find their different targets. Gwyn walked slowly to get more time. She still wasn't sure of how she could change Draco's mind. She could just…

Her thoughts stopped when she spotted Malfoy. He was down the hall talking…no, being talked to by some girl. Gwyn rolled her eyes and jogged over to him.

"Hey!" she said. The girl glared at Gwyn. "I need to talk to you," Gwyn said, not bothering to acknowledge the girl. "Alone."

"Sure, why not," Malfoy excused himself and followed Gwyn.

"You are going to listen to me and you are not going to interrupt," she said. He looked at her quizzically. She took a deep breath. "You are completely miserable. You are unusually depressed and you turned the only thing that made you happy away."

Draco opened his mouth to say something but Gwyn put up her hand. "No interrupting. Now, what's left? What do you do now? Are you just going to live your life in this miserable hole you dug for yourself?" she paused and looked at him. "Oh, I get it. You don't need to live in that hole, you can just die, right? Draco when will you face life! When are you going to actually _try _to get through life without Lisa?"

"For God's sake Gwyn! Don't you get it? I hurt her whenever I get closer! I get closer and then the next day I hate her! How the hell am I going to get through a relationship like that?!" he asked.

"If you just told her what is going on with you, she just might understand. She could probably help you through it because, clearly I can't!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Draco, I can't help you, as much as I'd like to think I can, I can't. The only way for you to get through this is to open up. You have to hold on to what's going on between you two. You were happy again when she was with you. Now, look at yourself. You are a complete mess," she looked at him for a long minute. "Draco, just try it, please."

With that, she left him to contemplate his life.

**Ha! Almost there. I can't wait 'til this fight is over. It's kind of killing me. The next chapter will be a happy one, I promise. Read and REVIEW! **

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	15. Chapter 15

**Hiya! This chapter is really happy which is good but kind of short so forgive me. **

**Reincarnated Love**

**Chapter 15- Ice Dancing **

Draco Malfoy paced across his bedroom. He was going crazy. He had way too many problems to deal with all at once. First, the second love of his life was ignoring him, which was rightfully earned on his part. Second, his first loved was tormenting him, he was depressed and to top it all off, his father was coming home.

Hermione was infuriated with him and he couldn't blame her. He had been a complete jackass towards her. But in Draco's eyes, he was saving her from himself. He believed that he would never get over his depression and it wasn't fair to Hermione that he would like her one day and hate her another. _'So you break her heart to save her from the guy she loves? Real heroic.' _he chastised himself.

Ever since he and Hermione stopped talking, Draco's hallucinations wreaked havoc on his brain. Everyday they became more intense and unbearable. He sat in a dark corner of his room, huddled in a chair. It was like he was back in the past when his dad beat him. It got so bad that he cried himself to sleep on many accounts. Yes, he, Draco Malfoy, _cried _himself to sleep.

His dad, somehow, found a way to come back home. He had just received the letter from his mother. Normally, he would be somewhat excited to hear from his mother but she had brought the worse news he had since he pissed off the second love of his life. Lucius Malfoy was coming home. His Christmas vacation was going to be a blood fest. _Might as well start digging my grave now. _

Gwyn was absolutely right when she had said that Draco was back in his miserable hole. He dwindled in it; frustrated, depressed and well, miserable.

_Maybe I could fix things with Hermione. It would make my Christmas better…and worse in some ways. But better more than worse. I could apologize and we could…Damn! She might not forgive me. I wouldn't forgive me. Well, it's worth a try. Can't live my life afraid of everything. _

_???…_

He sat in the dark confides of his dorm. The last letter confessing his undying love for Hermione Granger was almost complete. After this letter, they would be able to be together without that jerk Malfoy interfering. Malfoy was such a pig; thinking he was the coolest person in the world, and using Hermione like he did. If he was big enough, he'd knock the snot out of Malfoy himself. (A/n- I know, confusing but I can't say his name)

He lifted the letter in his hands. The smile that appeared on his face was loving. He wasn't a perverted stalker or anything. He was just a love-struck teenager who fell in love with a girl who didn't love him back. Who could help who he fell in love with.

He wasn't extraordinary, he was perfectly normal; as normal as a wizard could get. He had no gorgeous features like Malfoy but he wasn't ugly. He was cute, in his own way. But most importantly, he was in love.

_Hermione _

Hermione woke up to the warm sunlight that came through her window. Today was a Hogsmead day and she was excited to get away from the castle. It was also supposed to snow today, not that she cared or anything. Malfoy did promise to teach her to ice skate but with what was going on between them his promise would surely fall through. Hermione knew this, she thought about it night after night, and yet she still hoped. It was the snow that really excited her because there might be a chance, however slim, that he would be nice to her today.

With that thought, Hermione jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom with her bath things. She turned on the water extra hot and jumped into her soothing bath.

After twenty minutes, she got out and magically blow dried her hair straight. She got dressed and rushed out of the dorm, not stopping to find out where Malfoy was. Immediately, she headed for the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione found Ginny sitting with Harry and Ron by the fire. She walked over to them. "Hey," she said.

"Hey 'Mione," they all said.

"Ginny, could I steal you for a moment?"

"Sure," she got up and followed Hermione to the library.

"Alright, I'm going crazy," Hermione said.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't stand it. I can't stand not talking to him, even if it's to exchange verbal abuse. At least then he'd be normal. He just ignores my presence like I'm some kind of ghost."

"I know what you mean. Gwyn said he was out of it. She's been trying to talk to him but he seems lifeless."

"Jeez, he's going to be the death of me," Hermione said honestly. Something white caught her eye. "What?" She picked up the letter with it's chocolate frog attached. "How does he find me?"

"Who?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Remember the letters I kept getting?" Hermione smiled as she read the newest one.

"What does it say?" It was urgent that Ginny knew. She had to find out who this kid was so she could tell him to back off.

"He wants e to meet him in the Hog's Head," Hermione smiled again.

"Why there?"

"Less crowded," she said. "Do you think it's Malfoy?" She hoped more than anything that it was him.

"Maybe," Ginny frowned as she thought about the prospect of Hermione meeting the mystery lover. "Hermione, I have to go. Meet up with us at Hogsmead, kay?"

"Sure, seeya."

Ginny ran off in a hurry. _What's with her: You don't really think this guy is Draco do you: It could be. : No, it couldn't. That is just wishful thinking. You want it to be Draco but what if it's not: Then maybe I'm not meant for Draco. _The voice snorted at the last comment.

Hermione walked out of the library excited for a new reason: she could finally find out who the mystery guy was. She spent a couple of hours in her dorm and got bored. She threw on her jacket and scarf and sat outside in the snow. There wasn't much snow left since it hadn't snowed in weeks. She sat by the lake, wishing that her life would take a drastic turn back on track.

_Draco _

Draco Malfoy watched as Hermione and Ginny walked into the library. They were whispering so he had to strain his ears to hear what they were saying. He got the gist of it. They were talking about him. He stiffened when he saw the letter and the look Hermione got when she read it.

Someone else was interested in Hermione? This didn't surprise him, she was beautiful. Her hair was tamed and her body was perfect. He was more pissed off than shocked. How could he let this happen? How could he give up the girl he loved so easily? An odd anger filled him. He was a jealous guy and he knew it from experience. He was definitely jealous at that moment.

Draco stood and left the library in a huff. He headed to the Slytherin common room and found Gwyn and Spencer sitting together in a corner.

"Gwyn, I need to talk to you," Draco said pacing. She looked at him wide eyed.

"What's up with you?"

"What do you think is up with me?" he asked, still pacing.

"Draco sit down somewhere."

"I can't," he replied. Then he stopped and faced her. "Did you know that some guy is trying to win over Hermione?" Gwyn nodded and Draco began pacing again.

"Yeah, about that…"

"What if I'm too late?" he asked worriedly.

"Um,"

"What if she doesn't forgive me?"

"Draco,"

"I screwed up big time didn't I?"

"Draco?"

"I'll never be happy again. I'll turn out like my dad," he stopped in horror of what he had just said. "What if I do turn out like my dad?"

"DRACO!" Gwyn yelled. He jumped from the force of her voice. "You are not too late. She's still waiting for you. She will forgive you and you are NOT turning into your father."

"How do you know?"

"Please remember that I have a little sister who sees the future."

"Oh, right."

"Draco, go find her and tell her everything," Gwyn said.

"Everything?"

"Everything. The hallucinations, nightmares, memories, everything."

"Right, that's going to be an interesting conversation," Draco said walking to the entrance to the common room. "Thanks Gwyn."

"No problem," she said and he left.

Draco searched everywhere for Hermione. He walked slowly because he still wasn't sure what to tell her. When he checked their dorm and she wasn't there, he became frantic. He looked everywhere but she could have already gone to Hogsmead. The thought of her meeting that guy made him look harder. He finally gave up when she was nowhere to be seen. He leaned on a wall and took a breath. Draco turned and looked out the window helplessly. He had never felt so stupid in his life. Then he saw her. She was sitting by the frozen lake. He grinned and ran outside.

_Right Draco, calm down. You can't look so excited and out of breath. You have to tell her everything so she understands. Act normal. _What was normal for him?

Draco trudged down to the lake and sat next to Hermione. She was startled by his suddenly close proximity. During his time ignoring her, Draco had made sure that they were never within ten feet of each other. That was a big mistake for he longed to be closer to her.

"Hey," this too startled her.

"Oh, are we on talking basis Malfoy?" she seemed reluctant to say it but she did.

"I guess," Draco replied sullenly. She was still angry at him. Who could blame her? He was acting like a complete ass. "Are we on the last name basis Granger?" he wanted so badly to just hold her and never let go.

"I guess," she said not looking at him. "What do you want?"

Draco sighed. It was now or never. "I need to explain something to you."

She looked at him for the first time in their rather hostile conversation. He was lost in her brown eyes. "I'm listening."

"Remember when you asked me what was wrong with me during those first few months of school?" she nodded. "Well it kind of has to do with how I've been lately."

Draco proceeded to tell her everything since the death of Lisa to his odd behavior. At first it was pretty hard to talk to her under her piercing gaze but it gradually became easier. He was elated that they could still talk to each other freely without rude comments. She listened to everything, not interrupting. How he missed talking to her.

"So that is why I've been acting so oddly," he finished. "It doesn't justify hurting you like I did but that's the reason. I felt that I was using you to ease the depression and it wasn't fair that I would hate you every other day."

"So there was no bet involved?" she asked. He shook his head. "Why didn't you just tell me? I would have understood."

"That's the thing, I wasn't sure how you'd react," he said. "This is hard for me to do 'cause I don't do this very often. I apologize for everything. Even for the hurt I caused you in the past. So will you forgive me or do I have to grovel?"

"As much as I'd like to see you grovel, I do forgive you."

"Thanks, now I can actually sleep." he laughed. "Still friends?" He wanted to be so much more than friends but they had to be friends before they could move any further.

Hermione smiled. "Still friends."

"You must know that there will be days when I'm depressed and cranky… like an old guy," he informed.

"I know, I can deal. I'll even try to help," she grinned at him. He smiled his godly smile. Hermione couldn't stand the distance, however small, between them. She had been longing to be held by him for half a month. She hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Draco was slightly caught off guard by the warm embrace. Nonetheless, he hugged her back, pulling her as close to himself as humanly possible. They sat like that until it snowed. The light flakes landed gracefully on their heads and clung to their hair.

Hermione was the first to sit up. Draco looked at her questioningly. She looked at the sky and smiled. "I do believe you have a promise to keep."

His eyebrows met in a frown. "What kind of promise?" he asked. He knew perfectly well what promise she was talking about. Actually, he was suprised _she _remembered.

"A promise you made me three weeks ago," Hermione still smiled. Her smile filled his body with a warmness he had lost weeks ago. He felt happier just by looking with her.

"Did it have anything to with snow?" he teased.

"Of course."

"Do you have any ice skates?" Draco asked.

"No, but I will," she pulled out her wand and skates magically appeared in front of her. Draco grinned and conjured his own skates. He stood up after tying them tight.

"Shall we?" he held out his hand to her. She smiled again and placed her hand in his. "God! Your hand is freezing!" he exclaimed. "Don't you own gloves?" Hermione just smiled and followed him onto the frozen lake.

Draco spent a good few hours trying to teach Hermione how to ice skate. It took her a while learning how to keep her balance when on the ice. She fell almost fifty times. He never failed to catch her of course; any excuse to hold her. She was ecstatic when she finally learned how to actually skate.

Hermione held on to Draco's arm for safety. He didn't understand how it was safe. All it meant was that when she fell so did he, but he didn't complain.

"Wow, this is really fun," Hermione said, stating the obvious. Draco laughed.

"I couldn't tell. You seem to be having a miserable time," he joked.

"I was," Hermione agreed grinning. Just then, she lost her balance. She fell, bringing Draco down with her. They lay next to each other laughing.

"You okay?" he asked still laughing.

"Uh-huh," Hermione burst into another fit of laughter. "I am so bad at this," she laughed.

"Not really," Draco assured her. "You're no figure skater but you're not terrible," He looked at her and smiled, losing himself in her eyes again. "You want to try something? I promise it's not life threatening."

"Sure why not?"

He helped her up and bowed holding his hand out. "May I have this dance?" He grinned up at her through the blonde hair that covered his eyes.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't fight back her smile. "Yes you may," he took her hand. "May I ask, how are we going to dance on ice if I can't even stand up on my own?"

"My dear Hermione, do you have no faith in me? I am a professional, I can dance with anyone."

Sure enough, they were gliding across the ice surrounded by snow. She didn't fall once. Not even when he twirled her around. They talked and joked as they danced.

She had never had so much fun in her life.

Hermione had never met anyone quite like Draco. He was fun and spontaneous, gorgeous and arrogant (not the best quality but workable), sweet and protective. He was perfect. How she had never noticed this before?…She would never know. She finally got why Lisa liked Draco so much. He was the type of guy any girl would want to be with, even her.

Hermione suddenly remembered the Hogsmead trip. She had been so wrapped up with Draco that she forgot. What would the mystery guy think of her now? Did she even care anymore? She had Draco, what more could she want? How was she going to tell Ron about her and Malfoy? He would be in complete shock. _It won't kill him. : That's right, it __**won't **__kill him. Besides, he has Pansy. : Wait, does he even like Pansy? _

Draco noticed the odd expression that flashed across her face. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"I completely forgot about the Hogsmead trip," she said. "I was supposed to meet someone there, now I feel terrible."

"We still have time to go if you want," he was hoping she'd say no. He really didn't like the prospect of Hermione meeting some guy with a crazed crush on her.

"No, I don't think we'll make it. They would be back by the time we got there. I guess I'll have to settle for your company," Hermione sighed teasingly.

Draco rolled his eyes but smiled. "You want to go inside? We could drink hot cocoa by the fire and snuggle under blankets," he said with slight sarcasm. Hermione laughed.

"Of course I would love to go inside."

He supported her as they skated off the lake together. They magically switched to their regular shoes and raced each other to the castle. On their way there, they engaged into a snowball fight, created snow angels and raced again. It was almost dark when they tripped into the school's entrance. They were frozen but extremely cheery. Both of them wore wide grins.

Draco saw Gwyn and smiled at her. She smiled back and winked. "Looks like everyone's back from their trip."

"Yeah, I still feel a bit bad but that won't last long," Hermione said looking at him.

He grinned down at her. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit. They headed to their dorm together, laughing and joking on their way.

Draco made snacks while Hermione made hot chocolate. He purposely bumped into her every chance he got. Every time they touched, she would gin up at him and he would get the tickling feeling he had missed. He was beyond glad that they were back on a talking basis. They were more than just talking, they were being friendly again.

They lay across the living room floor with Hermione's laptop and a stack of movies.

"What should we watch tonight?" Hermione asked. Draco shrugged.

"Whatever you like," he said carelessly.

"Fine, the Notebook then," she replied with a grin.

"Never seen it."

"Good, it'll be an experience," She put the DVD in and they huddled in blankets in front of the fireplace.

Hermione cried at the end of the movie, an unexpected turn in Draco's eyes. He had to admit, it was pretty sad but not sad enough to make him cry. They fell asleep lying on the floor in front of the fireplace. Hermione was snuggled against Draco's chest and he had an arm wrapped around her. The long dormant butterflies in his stomach were rejuvenated with every touch. They were going crazy until he finally fell asleep. He forgot about his frustration and depression. He never thought about Christmas break and his nightmares turned to perfect dreams.

**Kay, so there it is. They're back together or just together since they weren't really together before. Well, they're happy. Poor mystery guy. He was really hoping she'd come. Man, is he going to really hate Draco now. Read and REVIEW oh I also need help deciding on who the mystery guy should be. Review and tell me what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey! New Chapter! I don't have much to say today. Except, if you live with a smoker in your family, DO NOT let that said person go outside at night to smoke. Trust me, my dad let a bat (animal) in my house last night when he came in from smoking. We still can't find it. **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 16- Can't get enough **

Draco leaned closer to Hermione. His lips touched hers and she felt the tingling ring through her body. She deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer and hugged her waist. He lifted her without breaking their lip contact. They fell on the couch together pulling each other's clothes off in the process.

Suddenly, Ron burst into the room. He saw what was happening and immediately thought Hermione was being attacked. He pulled out his wand and screamed the killing curse. Draco fell to the floor and Hermione screamed.

Hermione screamed and thrashed about in her sleep. She almost knocked one of Draco's eyes out while doing so.

"Hermione," he said trying to calm her. "Hermione, shh, what's wrong?" He was holding her, trying to keep her from attacking him again. His face was close to hers and she could smell his sweet breath.

Hermione opened her eyes to see Draco's worried eyes. "Sorry, just a dream," she apologized.

"God! You must have been having some dream," He backed up and raked a hand through his perfect blonde hair.

"Yeah," she agreed sitting up. Was she just dreaming about having sex with Malfoy? _Yes you were. Her eyes widened at the thought. Why would I dream of something like that: If it makes you feel better, you two didn't get far. : Oh ew, you are so wrong: You like him, right: But, that's thinking way too far. Way too far. Besides, I can't just like him. I have to love him. : I thought you did. : No, I don't even know yet. It's not a yes or a no. I'd have to wait to figure out. : Whatever you say, it's your brain. I'm just here for the ride.  
_

Draco looked at her curiously. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little freaked."

"I know what that feels like," he said.

"I'm going to take a shower, be back in a few," she said, and ran up the stairs.

Hermione hummed as she readied her steaming hot shower. She was happier than she had ever been. She ran over all the things she and Draco could do in her mind. It was so good to call him by his first name. She hoped he wouldn't be depressed, it would ruin her great mood.

Hermione finished her shower in record time. She dried and straightened her hair. She pulled on jeans that hugged her hips and a Panic! At The Disco t-shirt. Se threw on a zip-up hoodie and ran back down the stairs.

Hermione found a very freaked out Draco in the kitchen. He looked like he had seen a ghost. "Hey," she said a little too loudly. He practically jumped ten feet, dropping his mug of juice as he did so. His eyes were wide and he looked flustered. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little freaked," he said, repeating her earlier statement. She smiled. He grinned weakly.

"Hallucinating?"

"Unfortunately," he looked at the dropped porcelain. "I'm gonna have to clean that up," he reached for his wand.

Hermione moved closer to him and bent down by the glass. "Aw, this was the cute mug too," she said sadly. She stood up and faced Draco. Her face was inches away from his. She smiled slightly and leaned into him.

Their lips met and refused to part. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his perfect hair. (A/n- I have a thing for hair. Why?…I'm not too sure. But I am absolutely in love with Tom Felton's hair as Draco.) Draco snaked his arms around her waist. They walked over the glass and she was pushed up against the wall, their lips never separating.

This kiss was more passionate than any of their other (very random) kisses. It filled in all the emptiness from their time spent apart. The emotion transferred between them was, unmistakably, love. Maybe a little lust, but mostly love.

They slowly pulled away, the reluctance evident. Hermione stared intently into Draco's blue gray eyes. They were not emotionless, like they had been when she first met him. They were sparkling with an emotion she shared with him. She had seen his eyes like that only once before their seventh year. They were at the Yule Ball and he had come with Lisa. Hermione had only glimpsed the look before it evaporated because of her presence. Now, that look was for her. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered at the thought. Maybe she did love him.

"Jeez Granger, you missed me that much?" Draco teased. The look had not evaporated and he was still holding her. The grin that stationed itself on his lips made her heart flutter along with the butterflies.

"Me?" Hermione asked dubiously. "You kissed like you were lost without me," she grinned back at him.

"I was," he leaned closer. She caught the mischievousness in his eyes a minute too late. He kissed along her jaw making her heart pound. Her breath caught in her throat as his lips brushed against her neck. His toxically sweet scent made her lightheaded with a burst of unrecognizable emotions. His warm lips on her skin made her heart beat even more frantically.

When he pulled away, she almost fainted. _God, he's good. : They don't call him the Slytherin Prince for nothing. : Where does he learn this stuff: What do you mean? Seduction is like a second nature for him.  
_

"You okay there?" Draco asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. He was smirking, clearly proud of his accomplishment.

"Never better," Hermione said truthfully, though slightly out of it.

"Good. I'm hungry," Draco announced. Hermione smiled.

"Same, let's go eat," They parted completely. Draco fixed the broken mug and they headed out of the dorm.

As they walked, Hermione slid her hand into his. He looked at her and smiled, intertwining his fingers with hers. Neither of them cared if anyone saw (obviously). They weren't a couple yet but they were rapidly reaching that point. What harm could it do to have a bunch of nosy students see them together? Hermione's only fear was that Ron would be when he found out. It wasn't like he still liked her or anything but it could hurt him, especially since it was Malfoy. She could try and get him and Pansy together. That way, he couldn't be too mad.

Hermione looked at Draco. "Do you think Pansy likes Ron?" she asked. She couldn't stick Ron with someone who doesn't even like him.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Does she have the hots for Ron?" Hermione asked less formally. He laughed.

"Sure."

"Sure, what?"

"Sure she does. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," They walked to the Great Hall doors and stopped.

"Meet you outside later?" Draco said. Hermione nodded smiling. She kissed her two fingers and put them to his lips. He grinned and kissed her fingers. They parted as soon as they were inside the doors.

Hermione rushed over to her friends. "Hey," she said smiling.

"Hey, where were you yesterday?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, you were supposed to meet us," Ron agreed.

Hermione sighed and glanced over at Malfoy's table. He looked at her and their gazes locked for a second. "I had some prefect stuff to work on and they ended up monopolizing the better part of my day."

"Oh," Ron said. Harry grinned at Hermione. He had obviously picked up on her shared glance with Draco. "So you were stuck inside with Malfoy all day?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded. "Bummer," he said.

Ginny let out a small laugh but stifled it quickly.

_Draco_

Draco sat down with his friends, grinning broadly. "Morning!"

"To what do we owe your smiling face?" Gwyn asked. Draco nodded toward the Gryffindor table.

"You can all pat yourselves on the back now. I know you were all secretly planning on how to get us together," he said more to Gwyn than anyone else.

"Us?" she looked shocked. "Never."

Draco glanced at the Gryffindor table and locked gazes with Hermione. Her eyes smiled at him but she turned back to her friends with disinclination. He grinned at the fact that she couldn't keep her eyes off him.

"What are so smug about?" Pansy asked.

"I still got it," he said smiling.

Gwyn rolled her eyes. "Oh God what is it?"

"Oh, can't you tell?" Blaise said with a grin. "He is still the Slytherin Prince. After everything, he's still got it. Good going!" Blaise cheered for Draco.

"Do I want to know?" Gwyn asked.

"Nope," Spencer said smiling.

"Well, that doesn't help! Now I want to know!" Pansy and Gwyn both said.

"If we told you, you'd call us perverted freaks," Blaise said. Spencer and Draco nodded in agreement.

"Oh dear, now I really don't want to know."

They finished breakfast and walked outside into the snow.

"I love the snow!" Pansy said. She spread out her arms and fell backwards into the white fluffy goodness. They all lied down beside her.

"It's so white and fluffy and white," Blaise said with fake enthusiasm. Pansy hit him in the stomach. "Ow, jeez," he said laughing.

"I wish we could get away from the school on the weekends," Gwyn said. "It should be a seventh year privilege. We could go to Hogsmead more than just one day of the month."

"That would be fun," Pansy agreed. "Maybe we could bug McGonagall about it."

"I doubt she'll say yes," Blaise informed.

"Not if Grang…Hermione asks," Pansy said. They all looked at Draco. His eyes widened.

"Why are you looking at me?" he asked.

"Because, you have connections," Spencer said.

"To what? You people are not using my relationship with others to cater to your needs."

"It'll benefit you as well," Gwyn insisted. They all nodded in agreement.

"You know what, all of you are very sad, using people for weird stuff like that," he said shaking his head.

"You guys could go shopping together," Pansy said.

"Perfect date," Gwyn agreed.

"HA!" Draco snorted. "After shopping with you two? Nope, I am not going shopping with any girl ever again, ever again."

"He's got a point. Shopping doesn't really turn a guy's head," Spencer said.

"It makes him run away," Blaise said.

"To somewhere far away," Draco finished.

"Oh come on. It would be so much fun to get away from school every weekend," Gwyn pleaded. She and Pansy gave him puppy dog eyes.

"Da--it! Fine," he said.

"Thanks!" the two girls exclaimed, hugging him.

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

"Dude, you just got tricked," Blaise said.

"Yeah, I know," Draco said. "Are we asking for both seventh years and sixth years or just seventh years?"

"Doesn't matter," Gwyn said.

They all lay back into the snow again. "We're going to be really wet after this."

Gwyn stood up. "Spencer and I are going to hang out elsewhere. So you can get started on the whole convincing Hermione thing," Gwyn said. Draco glared at her and she smiled.

"Same," Pansy agreed dragging Blaise with her. "Have fun!"

Draco shook his head. Only they would come up with something for him to do. He sat up searching for Hermione.

"Boo," Her voice rang through his head like a bell. She sat down next to him.

"Hey," he said smiling at her. "Where's your posse?"

"Quidditch practice," she said. "Yours?"

He laughed. "What do you think? They left so you could talk to me, alone."

"That's a good thing though," she said.

"I guess," he said. "Hey, what do you think about being able to go to Hogsmead every weekend instead of just once a month?"

"That'd be fun," Hermione replied. "But, do you think Professor McGonagall will go for that?"

"Dunno, maybe…hopefully."

"We should ask."

_Wow, that was easy. _"We should," He laid his hand in hers. She smiled at him.

"We also have to talk about the Winter Ball," she said. "We have to do the decorations and preparations."

"When is it exactly?"

"Sometime after Christmas break."

He sat on his knees. "Well, then I'll do this now," he said. "Will you go with me?" He asked dramatically.

She smiled. "Of course."

"That's good," He looked at her hand in his. "And when we go to Hogsmead, we're buying you gloves."

Hermione laughed. "Sure, why not."

"But for now," He rubbed her hands between his.

"You can keep me warm," she whispered. Their faces were close again. A blush ran up her face. Draco smiled and brushed her red cheek with the back of his fingers.

"There you go with the blushing again," he laughed. She leaned toward him and kissed him. They were both grinning when they parted. "Just can't get enough of me huh?" his smile grew wider.

"Oh God, you are so full of yourself," she said, but she was smiling as well.

"I know, I can't help it."

She threw a snowball at his face. He glared at her.

"Oh you're gonna get it now," he said. They threw snowball after snowball at each other until it was late in the afternoon.

Draco and Hermione collapsed in the snow. Their faces were red from the cold and they were out of breath from running.

"What are you doing for Christmas break?" Hermione asked.

Draco winced at the reminder. He had been trying to avoid talking about his Christmas break ever since he received the letter from his mom. The topic immediately dampened his mood. He felt the coldness wash over him. His body stiffened and he stared blankly at the sky. Only his father could provoke such a reaction.

Hermione noticed his defensive reaction. She looked at him. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

He looked at her with emotionless eyes. "My father is coming home," he spat coldly. She winced at the coldness in his voice.

"I'm guessing that's a bad thing," Hermione said, turning away. She was slightly hurt that he was talking to her as if he were angry with her.

"Yes! Yes it's a bad thing!" Draco almost yelled.

"Maybe it's not," Hermione insisted. "Maybe it's a chance for you two to settle your differences."

"Have you ever met him?!" he stared at her. "He's a completely vile man! He made my life miserable! It makes me sick just to think about him!" Draco said. He shook his head. "If only you knew."

She stared at him. "Would you stop looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" he fumed.

"Like you hate my guts," Hermione said. Draco saw the hurt in her eyes. His expression turned blank to apologetic. "It's not very comfortable," she added, staring at the sky.

"Sorry," Draco said. "Can we drop this subject? It's ruining my mood," he pleaded with sad eyes.

"Alright, but you are explaining it to me before break," Hermione agreed. Still shocked at the way he glared at her.

"Fine, if you insist."

"I do," she stared at his now impassive face. A thought struck her and she found the perfect way to cheer him back up. Hermione rolled over and sat on top of Draco. He stared at her wide eyed. She grinned and kissed his lips. She kissed along his jaw and felt his body relax under her. She saw him suck in a breath as she kissed his neck. Her pay back for earlier was working just the way she wanted it to.

He slid his arms around her and kissed her. Both their hearts beat uncontrollably. Their body heat bounced in between them. Hermione pulled away after a couple of minutes. She grinned at him. "Feel better?"

"Almost," This time she didn't even catch the mischievous glint in his eyes. He grinned and rolled over so that he was sitting on her.

"Oh my God Draco!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What? You can sit on me but I can't sit on you?"

"No you can't, you're too heavy."

"Fine," he let up a little bit. "better?"

"I guess."

"You guess?" he sucked on his teeth and waggled a finger. "Not the best answer," he reached back behind her knee. Her eyes widened. She had forgotten that she told him where her most ticklish spot was. As he tickled her, she burst into huge fits of laughter. It wasn't until tears were streaming from her eyes that she finally had enough.

"Okay,…you (laughter)…win (more laughter)!" she said, the tears blurring her vision.

"Huh? I can't hear you," Draco said cupping a hand around his ear.

"I (laughter)… said (laughter)…I give (more laughter)…up, you (even more laughter)…you win!" Hermione managed.

He stopped. "Oh, that's what I thought I heard."

"Do you mind?" Hermione asked.

"Actually, I do."

She groaned. "Draacco! What will it take for you to get off of me?"

He grinned. "I dunno. Let me think about it," he said, pretending to be deep in thought.

Her mouth dropped. "What do I do until then?" she asked.

"I don't know," he grinned again.

"Draco Malfoy, get your arse off of me!"

"Has anyone ever told you, you look hot when you're mad?"

"NO! Now get off!"

"Alright, alright," He slid off of her. "You do realize that I just complimented you, right?"

"Yes, and I thank you very much for that compliment."

"What, exactly, did I win?"

"This," she threw a snowball at his face.

"Thanks," Draco grinned.

"That's not all," She leaned closer and kissed him. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her closer.

He pulled away. "God, I missed you!" She grinned and pulled him closer again. "Okay, I definitely feel better now," Draco said when they parted.

"Good, we should probably head back inside," Hermione said. "But I think I'll go find Harry and them. They're still in the quidditch pitch, I think."

"Righto. I'll walk you over there."

"Aren't you so sweet."

"I try," he stood up and helped her up. "Shall we?" He held out his arm.

"We shall."

They walked arm-in-arm to the quidditch pitch.

**Sorry for the long wait. I hoped you liked. REVIEW! Oh and I know who the mystery guy is. I'm not going tell you who it is yet, you'll figure out soon enough. READ AND REVIEW!! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry about the wait, hope it wasn't too long. It took me a while to pick out what would go in this chapter. It's sort of just here, not really important. But you should enjoy it all the same! **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 17- Christmas Break **

Draco was dragged into a compartment by Gwyn. She and Payedon were staying with him for Christmas break, which was a relief to him. Their mom was coming over to the manor and they were going to have a huge Christmas celebration with the whole family. It wasn't the best idea in Draco's opinion but his mom seemed to like it.

Draco wished his family was more open. They only cared about purebloods and would never allow any of their children to marry anyone less. This screwed all chances that they would approve of him and Hermione. They didn't approve of Lisa either. He was looked down upon because of his relationship. His father was blamed for not raising him properly so he was beat up more and more. But Draco couldn't think about that, he had to keep his spirits high.

Gwyn sat down across from him. "This is going to be so much fun!" she said beaming. Payedon sat next to him.

"Why do you say that? My dad hates you," Draco reminded her.

"Yes, but I do not hate your dad," Gwyn grinned. "We are going to have so much fun."

"Oh God, Gwyn. What are you going to do?" Draco stared at her with horror.

"Nothing!" Gwyn said but the smile she had frightened him.

"Right, nothing," he said. "I'm going to go find Hermione."

"Did she talk to McGonagall?" Gwyn asked.

"Yes we both did," Draco said, sighing.

"What'd she say?" Gwyn sat on the edge of her seat.

"She said she'll run it by Dumbledore and she'll get back to us after break," he said. 

"Great, thanks," Gwyn grinned.

"Welcome," Draco got up and walked out of the compartment. He slid past a throng of sixth year girls and glimpsed Hermione walking away with Ginny Weasley. He quickened his pace a little. "Granger," he whispered in her ear.

She turned, startled. "God, Draco you scared the crap out of me!" She hissed. He grinned.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked.

"If you insist," She sighed.

"I do," Draco said glancing at Ginny, who was trying to hide a smile.

Hermione turned to Ginny. "Could you tell Ron and Harry that I'll be there in a few minutes?"

"Sure, of course. Take as long as you need," Ginny grinned and walked down the corridor. Hermione turned to Draco.

"Okay, I need to talk to you as well." She replied.

"C'mon," Draco pulled lightly on her hand and she followed him into an empty compartment. He turned to her and pulled out a small box. "This is your makeshift Christmas present. It should hold you over until I get the actual present," he grinned at her shocked expression. She stared at the box intently. He tilted his head. "You going to open it?"

"Yeah, but first I need your address," She pulled out a paper and pen.

"Why?" he asked, frowning a bit.

"So I can send you your present," Hermione said.

"Oh," he wrote down his address and Gwyn's cell phone number. "That's Gwyn's number, she's staying with me so you can call her to get to me." 

"Okay," Hermione sighed a little and opened the perfectly wrapped gift. She opened the box and gasped. There was a gold necklace with a heart-shaped locket. On the locket was a heart-shaped diamond and on the back her name was engraved with a tiny heart at the end. Hermione stared at it in awe.

"Do you like it?" Draco asked nervously. Hermione nodded and hugged him, almost knocking him down.

"I love it. Thank you so much!" she kissed him. "One question, how did you…" Hermione asked, confused.

Draco grinned. "Didn't I tell you? I have connections," he said.

"Right," he helped her put the locket on. "What's on the inside?"

"Whatever you want," he said.

She put her arms around his neck. "Thank you," She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

"You're very welcome," he said into her lips. They pulled apart. "Well, I should probably get back," Draco said, reluctantly.

"Same, seeya," Hermione grinned and headed out.

Draco went back to his compartment and found Pansy and Blaise talking to Gwyn and Spencer. "Hey," he said. He sat down next to a sleeping Payedon.

"Hey," Blaise said.

"Where's Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb?" Draco asked.

"Their parents decided to stay in Guam so their stuck at school," Blaise informed.

"Wow."

"Yeah, if my parents did that to me, I'd be ."

"So both their moms are in Guam?" Spencer asked.

"They went together," Pansy informed.

"That sucks," Draco commented. 

Draco and his friends spent their time talking, joking, and occasionally sleeping until the train came close to the station. The more Draco talked with his friends, the less he dreaded getting off the train. When he did think about it, he realized that his dad would be informed of the exposed kiss he shared with Hermione. Lucius Malfoy had the connections that could and would get him any and all information, available or not. It was only a matter of time before he would find out and when he would, there would be hell to pay. 

Draco stood up. "I'll be back in a few minutes." he told his friends.

"Okay, but hurry up. We're about to arrive at the station," Gwyn said.

Draco nodded and walked out. He searched every compartment until he found the one that Hermione was in. To his immense disappointment, she wasn't alone. Her friends were with her, making it harder for him to talk to her privately. He stood there for a moment, wondering if he should just go in there and get her...or not. He took a deep breath and opened the compartment door. Everyone turned to him.

Ron looked at him in disgust. "What do you want Malfoy?" he spat.

Draco shot Ron a glare. "I haven't come for you so quit your whining," he turned to Hermione. "I need to talk to you."

Hermione glanced between Ron and Draco. "Okay," she stood. "Be back in a minute," she said to her friends and followed Draco again. When they were alone in an empty compartment, she ventured to question him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he leaned down and kissed her. She clung to him as he wrapped himself around her. "I just needed that," he said honestly.

"Why, exactly?" She asked smiling.

"Because in a few minutes, I will be back in the battle field that is my home," He said sulkily.

"Is your father that bad?" She asked.

"Worse. I can't even begin to tell you how bad," He grinned and kissed her again. 

"Maybe break will be different." Hermione offered. 

"Ha, doubt it," He said. Hermione gave in to his sweet cologne again and kissed him passionately. "God, that makes a guy feel better!" he laughed. "I'll see you later."

"You too, stay safe," She smiled.

"I'll try, but there are no guarantees," He laughed.

They went back to their respective compartments. Draco sighed and began to gather his things as he saw the station coming into view. His dread returned and he felt the coldness of depression overtake him. It was gradual but not enough to go unnoticed. His friends saw his dread and tried to comfort him until they reached their destination. As soon as the were in King's Cross he was back to Draco Malfoy, the cold hearted snake.

He stood silently and looked out the window. His father was completely visible to his eye. Gwyn followed his eyes and sighed.

"Come on," She said. He followed her, Payedon (whom he had to wake up), Spencer, Blaise and Pansy out into the corridor. They walked off the train and onto the platform. Blaise and Pansy hugged Draco, Gwyn and Spencer and searched for their parents. 

Spencer followed them until he spotted his family. "Alright, my folks are over there," He hugged Gwyn. "I'll see you sometime soon, right?" She nodded, still in his arms. To Draco's great displeasure, they kissed for a good five minutes (the longest goodbye he'd ever seen). "Seeya," Spencer finally let go of Gwyn. He reluctantly walked over to his family. 

Gwyn turned to Draco. "Right, off we go to the big bad wolf," Draco grimaced at the comment. "Say something please. This silence is killing me," Gwyn said.

Draco looked at her. "What do you want me to say?" he asked. "Am I supposed to be jumping for joy and giggling? You know what, maybe I should jump into his arms as soon as we see him. Then I could tell him how much I love him and how much I missed him!" He said coldly. Payedon stared at him silently. 

Gwyn smiled and said, "That's better! At least you're talking."

He couldn't help but smile. "Right Gwyn," He said. 

"Draco, Gwyn, Payedon!" Exclaimed Draco's mother. She hugged them while his father stood off to the side, glaring with disgust.

"Hey mum," Draco hugged her back, trying to hold back his coldness.

"Hey Aunt Narcissa!" Gwyn and Payedon exclaimed together.

"Father," Draco said, not bothering to hold back the coldness. He held out his hand to his father, who shook it but never lowered his gaze from Draco's face.

"Draco." Lucius said just as coldly as his son. The uneasiness of the situation lasted for a few minutes. Narcissa interrupted the deathlike silence.

"Well, there's no reason to just stand here," She said. "Let's go home."

The ride home was silent. Draco stared blankly out the window. Gwyn and his mother got tired of the silence and started up their own conversation. They tried to include him but he didn't want to talk. His father ignored him and everyone else just as he did.

As soon as they were home, Draco rushed to his room. He threw his trunk in the corner and flung himself on his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He flicked his wand and his door closed. He let out a scream into the fluffy pillow.

…...

The rest of the week was filled with glares, silences, screaming into pillows and avoiding home. Draco went out with Gwyn every chance he got. He went with Pansy and Blaise whenever he could. He hung out with Spencer at times just to avoid any time spent at home. He went Christmas shopping with Gwyn and Payedon almost everyday. He found the perfect book for Hermione and a jacket he would love to have for Christmas. Gwyn made a mental note of it so he was pretty sure he'd get it.

Draco closed his door and dropped his bags by his bed. He shoved them under the bed, where no one would look. There was a pop and a house elf appeared in his room. Draco turned to face it. 

"Sir, your mother says that dinner is ready," Tabby informed. (A/N- I don't know their house elf's name so I made up one.) "She requests that you come down."

Draco nodded. "Right, thanks," He said. With another pop, the house elf left. Draco took his time going downstairs. He was in no hurry, there was no reason to be. He reached the bottom of the stairs all too quickly. Gwyn glided down quickly behind him.

"Hey," She said.

"Hey," He replied almost lifelessly. 

"Listen, you can't be walking around here all angry and depressed," She said. "You need to be in the Christmas spirit. You were in the Christmas spirit but now you're bordering depression again."

"I was in a good mood wasn't I?" Draco asked. The life seemed to have been sucked from him.

"Your mom has been asking about your behavior," Gwyn said. Draco looked at her with emotionless eyes. "She's worried. She knows how you feel about your father but she didn't know you were this upset about him."

"It's not just him, you know that," Draco said. His voice was strained from his attempt to keep the coldness he felt out of it.

"I know, but I didn't tell her about the depression. I guess she already knows that there's something else going on but-" Gwyn cut herself off. "Maybe you should tell her."

Draco stared at his cousin for a long minute. "Maybe," He mumbled. They walked into the dining room to find everyone else seated at the long mahogany table. Draco and Gwyn sat down across from each other.

They were well into their meal before anyone said anything of consequence. "Our Christmas party is tomorrow," Draco's mother announced.

Every year they had a Christmas party. Narcissa would send out fancy invitations. Draco would help her decorate and his father would ramble on about all the things they were doing wrong. His parents' friends would come talk about how big he'd gotten or how gentlemanlike he was. He would mumble 'Thank you' and then hide from everyone. It was tradition.

"Oh," Draco's father said. "You sent out the invitations already?" he asked. 

Narcissa swallowed a mouthful of food and nodded. "Yes, last week."

"And we're just hearing about it now?" Mr. Malfoy probed coldly.

"I did tell you all but no one listened," Mrs. Malfoy replied.

"I was listening Aunt Narcissa," Payedon said, trying to lighten the hostility. 

Narcissa smiled at her young niece. "Thank you Payedon," she said. A growl like sound emitted from Lucius's mouth.

"Of course you were," he snapped. Payedon glared at him. Gwyn rolled her eyes and shoved more food into her mouth. Narcissa glared at her husband as well. Draco snorted. 

Lucius's head snapped in his son's direction. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded. Draco looked up from his plate. His father was searching for a reason to beat on him and he knew it by the look he had. Draco wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

"Oh nothing father," he said. "I just think it's funny that the one who knew it was coming was the one who listened."

"Well, Draco will help me," Draco's mother said, cutting. "Won't you sweetie?"

"Sure," Draco said. "Of course I-" he stopped.

"Sure is not and answer, Draco," his father cut in. "I raised you better than that."

"Okay, father," Draco said, glaring down the table. "I was about to say, of course I'd help you." he added. 

Narcissa's eyes darted between her husband and her son. "Gwyn, would you want to help?" She asked.

"Yes, of course. I love decorating!" Gwyn said, trying to lift everyone's mood.

"I will too," Payedon announced.

"Of course you will," Draco's father mumbled.

"Do you ever shut up!" Draco exclaimed. Everyone looked at him, completely shocked. "What is your problem?!" he asked his father. "You go to Azkaban and you come back unchanged. You're still a sick bastard!" It felt so good to say it that he continued. He dished out all his angry feelings toward his dad right then and there. He could laugh at how good it felt just to have the courage to yell at his father. He didn't even care that he would get the beating of his life for his outburst. 

**Sorry, it's kinda short; shorter than my usual chapters. I didn't really have much for this chapter. It's sort of just a fill in. Next chapter is wet Draco- woohoo! For some reason, guys look hotter when they're wet. **

**And I can't forget:**

**Thanks for all reviews and REVIEW some MORE! **

**Also special thanks to my amazing editor- Isadora120!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Alright, this chapter turned out to be like thirty pages, so I split it into two parts. I hope it won't be confusing. And there might be mistakes because my editor left me (cry). Just kidding, she just went on vacation. Enjoy!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 18- Winter Rain (part 1) **

Draco woke up unusually happy. He was glad that his parents were hosting one of their 'get together party things'. This meant that they wouldn't be paying any attention to him. Of course he'd have to make some sort of appearance; say hi to the guests and pretend he cared about how tall he'd gotten. Thankfully, that was it. After that, he would be free to do what he wanted.

Draco slid out of his bed and pulled on a shirt, wincing a little from the pain it rejuvenated. His latest beating was as horrendous as he thought it would be, but he didn't care. It felt good to finally say what he said.

He tiptoed to his bedroom door and opened it cautiously. He checked the hallway and dashed across to Gwyn's room. It was eight thirty in the morning but he was sure Gwyn would be up. Draco knocked once and tried the knob. Naturally, it was locked. Gwyn loved privacy. He whispered a password that only he and she knew and the lock clicked. He silently opened the door and walked in. Gwyn sat up.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing, I'm uncharacteristically happy and I don't know why," He said with a grin.

She rolled her eyes and lied back down. "Okay, why would that be?" She mumbled into her pillow.

"Dunno," Draco looking around at the scattered belongings that seemed to gobble up the floor. "Is Spencer here?"

Gwyn sat up again. "Yeah, we were watching movies last night. Why?" she asked.

"Just wondering, oh you might want to get him out by nine. That's when father all mighty calls. You know he hates Spencer, right?"

"Yes, I am aware of that," Gwyn said lazily. "I don't know why he cares, he's friends with Spencer's dad," She added.

"Yeah, but Spencer is not his dad," Draco said. "Oh yeah, are you excited for the amazingly awesome Christmas party?" He asked.

"Whatever," Gwyn said into her pillow again.

"Oh, come on. You have to get pumped!" He exclaimed.

"I'm pumped, oh so pumped," Gwyn grumbled in reply.

"Where is Spencer anyway?" Draco asked, not at all convinced by her display of enthusiasm.

"Right there," Gwyn mumbled.

"Right where?" Draco asked.

"He's right here," Spencer said, lifting his head from the covers. Draco frowned.

"Oh ew! You two are so weird!" He said.

"I told you we were watching movies," Gwyn said innocently.

"Sure you were," Draco joked.

Gwyn threw a pillow at him. "Shut up! You're such a loser," She said jokingly.

"I'm going to go now," He said, laughing. The door closed and locked behind him. He headed to his room. Draco checked the time and realized that he only had twenty minutes before breakfast. He decided to start wrapping some of his gifts to boost his Christmas mood higher than it already was.

Draco sat on his floor and sang along with a Christmas CD he had bought (on one of his mall trips with Gwyn) as he wrapped gift after gift. There was knock on his door and Gwyn came in, radiating with happiness.

"I just realized something!" She exclaimed.

"What?" Draco asked, lowering the volume on his stereo.

"You are happy!" Gwyn said. She was positively glowing with joy. "You are happy for probably the first time since we left Hogwarts," She added sitting across from him.

"Yeah, I guess," Draco said. He grinned. "Wanna help wrap the rest of these?" he asked.

"Sure, where's mine?" Gwyn asked slyly.

"Oh right, like I'd tell you," Draco said sarcastically.

Gwyn smiled. "It was worth a try," She said. Payedon skipped in.

"Morning!" She exclaimed, plopping into Draco's lap. He hugged her close and she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, hugging him.

"Morning!" Draco and Gwyn said together.

"Guess what!" Payedon said.

"What?" Draco asked.

"Mummy is coming today!" she said excitedly.

"That's right isn't it," Gwyn said.

"Yup, and then the party is today," Payedon added.

"Now that's something to look forward to," Draco said. They heard the door downstairs open and voices. "Sounds like your mom is here," Draco said.

"Sounds like it," Gwyn agreed. "Let's go down and see." She stood up. Draco stood with her, holding a grinning Payedon under his arm like a football. They raced down the stairs, laughing merrily.

"Morning!" All three of them exclaimed when they reached the kitchen. They sat on tall stools by a bar-like counter.

"Morning," Narcissa said, hesitantly. She smiled. "What are you three up to this morning?" She asked.

"Nothing really," Gwyn assured.

"We are awaiting your instructions for the party," Draco added.

"Oh and who was at the door?" Payedon asked, already knowing.

Narcissa grinned and shook her head. "Can't get anything past you kids, huh?" She asked.

They shook their heads. "Nope," They agreed.

"Turn around and you'll see," Draco's mother said. The three of them turned immediately. There stood a pale woman with long, silky, silvery blonde hair. She had pale blue eyes and flawless skin. She was inhumanly beautiful; perfect in every way. She was Annabelle Malfoy, better known as Annabelle Mayford.

"Mummy!" Payedon exclaimed. She hopped off the stool and hugged her mother.

"Hey mum!" Gwyn said happily. She too hugged her mother.

The woman smiled a perfect smile. "I'm so happy to see you both," She said. She looked at Draco and smiled. "What? Are you too old for a hug?"

Draco smiled back at her. "Not yet," He said, hugging her. They all pulled away, grinning widely.

"So, what about this party?" Gwyn's mother asked.

"Well, we have to cook and decorate and…" Mrs. Malfoy rambled on about all the things they had to attend to before the party started.

For most of the day, they ran around decorating and preparing for the party. Draco and Gwyn put up decorations, under the watchful eyes of Draco's father. Annabelle and Narcissa cooked with the help of house elves and Payedon. They spent hours just flitting back and forth through the mansion. By the time the food was cooked and the decorations were finished, it was almost time for the guests to start arriving.

"Wow, guys that looks really nice!" Narcissa said. The living room was lit with red and green lanterns that hung from the ceiling. There was a piece of mistletoe hanging in each doorway. The room sparkled with red, green and gold garland. There were glittering snowflakes suspended in mid-air (by magic of course).

"Now, not to rush you or anything, but you guys need to hurry up and get dressed." Gwyn's mother informed. Draco's mother shooed them up the stairs as the firsts guests knocked on the door.

Draco purposely took an excruciatingly long time dressing. He wasn't really looking forward to being bombarded with annoying questions from his parents' friends. The farther away from them he was the better. He finished dressing and started wrapping presents again, just to take up time. When he was done (taking forever wrapping each gift), he finally walked out of his room. He stopped at the top of the steps, took a deep breath and continued down into the swarm of guests.

A tap on the shoulder and the sound of a very familiar voice turned Draco's head. Pansy and Blaise were standing in front of him. "Hey," He said. His happy mood escalated.

"Hey," The two said. "How's your break so far?" Pansy asked.

"Entirely too boring," Draco said with a grin.

"At least the food's good," Blaise said. They all laughed. "I'm serious. I wish my mom could cook like this."

"Hey, there you are," Gwyn said. Spencer followed up behind her.

Draco's brow furrowed. "How'd you…"

Spencer grinned. "My dad dragged me along."

"Lucky you," Draco said.

"Never mind that, there is a group of parents over there," Gwyn motioned toward a huddle of parents that Draco recognized as Slytherins of course. "They're talking about you."

"So?" He asked.

Gwyn sighed. "Let me put it this way," She said. "They are talking about you and a certain muggleborn."

Draco stared in shock. How would they know anything about him and Hermione? "How?"

"How'd they find out?" Gwyn asked.

"Those little snots they call children," Spencer said.

"Jeez, nothing stays a secret around here," Blaise said.

"What happens if they tell your dad?" Pansy asked, knowing the answer. They were all silent for a minute.

"Well, he's going to find out anyway," Draco said. "Might as well be now."

"What are you about to do?" Gwyn asked.

"Nothing, I'm just going to talk to them," Draco said, walking toward the huddle.

"Oh dear God," Pansy said.

"Good luck mate, you'll need it," Blaise said.

Draco pulled himself through the herd of people and approached the huddle of parents. Gwyn came up behind him.

"You aren't doing this alone," She whispered. "I'm here so if we need a quick get away I'm your girl."

Draco couldn't help but grin. "Hi," He said to the parents. He immediately recognized them as the parents of a bunch of fifth years. They each greeted him. "I hope you are all enjoying the party," he continued politely. His father stared at him while engaged in a conversation with someone a couple of feet away.

"Oh yes, the decorations are very nice and the food is delicious," One of the parents said.

"I'm glad you like it," Draco said.

"Could we ask you something?" Another parent asked.

"Sure, anything." Draco answered, bracing himself for the worst. He glanced at his father, who was still looking at him.

"Did you really kiss that mudblood…?" He looked at the others for help.

"Hermione Granger, I think her name is," Another said.

"Yes, yes, her. Did you really kiss her?" The other man asked.

Draco felt an anger rise in his chest at the name. _How dare they call her a mudblood! _His blood boiled and his fists clenched. The funny thing about his anger was that it was only just a year ago that he had called her that same name. Only a year ago that he hated her guts. Now, he was trying to keep himself from sticking up for her. Now…he loved her.

"Yeah," He grunted. He didn't dare look to see if his father was still watching.

"Who bet you to do it?" Another parent asked.

"Excuse me, I need to get something," Draco said, ignoring the question. "Please continue to enjoy the party." He walked away with Gwyn following him.

"Why do you insist on feeding the flames?" She asked after a few minutes.

"He was going to find out sooner or later," Draco said. "I personally like sooner."

Gwyn just shook her head sadly. "That's two beatings in a row," She said.

"And the funny thing is, I don't care," Draco admitted. "I didn't care yesterday and I don't care today," He marveled at his continuous feeling of joy.

"You are really weird," Gwyn said.

"What happened?" Pansy asked when she finally reached them.

"He found out," Gwyn said.

"What do you think your dad will do?" Blaise asked.

"Nothing until he can find me," Draco said. "What time is it?" He asked.

Everyone who had one checked their watches. "Ten," Pansy said.

"Was I upstairs that long, jeez," Draco said.

"Yeah, you were up there for a couple hours," Gwyn informed. "What were you doing?" She asked.

"Stalling," He replied.

"Well, you accomplished that," Blaise said.

"Your dad is over there," Spencer said.

"What? Who's dad?" Blaise asked.

"Draco's, he's over there looking for you," Spencer said.

"Shit, that's not good," Draco said.

"Draco, there you are," Came the icy voice he knew all too well. Draco slowly turned to face his father. "I need to talk to you," Lucius said.

"Of course, father," Draco said coldly. He took a last glance at his friends and followed his father to the study. His father's study was on the far end of the house. They walked to the door and Draco led the way in.

"Draco, I need to ask you a question," His father said. "You see, I've been hearing quite a bit about a kiss you seemed to have shared with that mudblood."

Draco felt the anger rise again. The irony of it made him want to laugh, but he knew he couldn't…not in front of his father.

His father continued. "I hear mixed opinions as well. Such as that it was bet." Lucius looked at his son. "Bet or not I will not tolerate you insulting this family the way you have been," He said. "I thought this was all over when the last mudblood died."

Draco's anger grew. He knew his father was talking about Lisa.

"Now, I presume you know what your punishment is," Lucius continued.

Draco nodded. "Yes." How could he forget? His father pulled out his wand. Draco knew the beating he was about to have would be the worst beating he'd ever have. He watched as his father whispered the spell and he waited for the imaginary attacker. He took a blow to the stomach and fell backwards. The ghostly attacker proceeded to kick him while he was down. Each kick landed somewhere new: his stomach, his face, his legs, his arms. He heard bones crack and break with each kick. His ribs almost caved in on his lungs.

When it stopped, he pulled himself to a sitting position. He spit out the blood that lingered in his mouth. Draco smiled weakly, and then he started laughing. His father stared at him as if he were crazy. He probably was for what he was about to do. "It wasn't a bet," Draco said. "I did it willingly," He added. "What's more, I liked it."

Lucius stared at his son incredulously. The anger boiled inside him and he raised his wand. "Crucio!" He said. Draco fell back, convulsing. His body twisted and turned as he screamed in agony. "Why do you insist on doing this to yourself?" Lucius asked.

Draco's body settled and he turned to face his father, slowly. "The funny thing is," He took a painful breath. "I'd kiss her again and again and again." Draco laughed despite the pain. "And not just because it pisses you off, but because I like it," He laughed again at the look that took over his father's features. "The best thing about it is, you can't do shit about it. You have no real authority over me, not anymore."

"Crucio!" Lucius screamed, tired of hearing him talk. The convulsions started again. They lasted longer then the last time. Draco could barely move by the time it was done. "Get OUT!" Lucius said. Draco smiled; he had gotten to his father. He didn't hesitate to leave.

He could barely walk but he pulled himself together. He took the back stairs to avoid unwanted questions from nosy guests. It took him twenty minutes to climb up the stairs. And another twenty to walk down the hall to his room. He reached his room and collapsed on the floor. After a few minutes, he heard Gwyn.

"Oh God," She said kneeling next to him. "Let me guess, you opened your big mouth," She said. Draco nodded and grinned. "You are such an idiot," Gwyn added.

"It hurts to laugh, talk or breath," Draco said. "So you might want to start with my ribs."

"Right," She pulled out her wand. She said a spell and he felt his ribs heal.

"Thanks," He said.

"No problem," She helped him up and supported him as he walked to his bed. "Alright, I'll heal the rest." She healed the rest of his wounds.

"Could you do me a favor?" Draco asked.

**Alright, the second part will be done soon. Hoped you liked. Read and REVIEW!!!**


	19. Chapter 18 prt 2

**Hey! Here is part 2. This is the happy part, so Enjoy! (and the wet Draco part!-hehe I'm not boy crazy…really, I'm not!)**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 18- Winter Rain part 2 **

Hermione woke up in probably the most Christmassy mood anyone could be in. She showered and brushed her soft curls. She got dressed and ran downstairs.

"Morning!" She said when she saw her mother in the kitchen.

"Morning sweetie," Her mother replied.

"What's for breakfast?" she asked.

"I don't know pancakes I guess." Mrs. Granger replied.

"I'm going to the mall with Julie later on. We're going Christmas shopping," Hermione reminded her mother. Julie was one of her neighborhood friends. She was a muggle, naturally.

"Okay dear, when are you two leaving?" Jane Granger asked.

"Somewhere around nine," Hermione said.

"That doesn't leave you much time, its eight thirty now," Her mother said, mixing the pancake batter.

"I eat quickly," She replied.

"We know you do," Her father said from behind his newspaper.

"Oh hey daddy, I didn't see you there," Hermione said, kissing him on the cheek.

"I don't know who can," Jane said.

By the time Hermione finished eating, Julie was at the door. Frank Granger opened the door and let Julie in. She walked into the kitchen with a small child on her hip. Her brown hair hung in a loose ponytail and she grinned happily. Julie was eighteen and out of high school.

"Good morning all!" She exclaimed.

"Morning!" The Granger family said.

Julie sat down in a seat next to Hermione. "Okay, I couldn't get anyone to baby-sit Aria here," She said. "So she has to come with us. I hope that's not a drag." Julie found the love of her life in her senior year. That was when she had her daughter, Ariadne (àrree-ádnee). Aria's (àrree- ah) father stayed of course. Why wouldn't he? He loved Julie and his daughter. He even asked her to marry him. Her mom wasn't too thrilled but her dad respected him, to say the least.

"Oh no, it's not a drag. I love having her around," Hermione said.

"Okay, good," Julie said.

"What, Tom didn't want to take her?" Hermione joked.

"No, it's not that. I didn't tell him I needed a baby-sitter," Julie replied.

Hermione frowned. "Why?"

"Because he'd be more than willing to take her," Julie said

"So," Hermione said.

"He always takes her! No matter what. He shouldn't have to do that while I go live a life. He needs to live too." Julie said. Hermione laughed.

"You two are so cute," Hermione said.

"What? It's not fair to him," Julie said.

"Alright, let's go," Hermione said, smiling. "Seeya mom! Bye dad!" The two girls dashed out the house. Julie led Hermione to her car. Hermione helped her strap her sleeping baby into the car seat. Then they headed to the mall.

"She looks so cute when she's sleeping," Hermione admired, looking back at Aria.

"Yeah that's when I like her best," Julie joked, checking on her daughter in the rear-view mirror.

"She looks just like both of you," Hermione commented. She hadn't seen Ariadne, or Julie for that matter, since the end of the summer (when she finally came back from traveling with Ron and Harry). Aria did look like both her mother and her father. She had her mom's silky brown hair (however little of it she had) and her dad's big blue eyes.

Julie smiled. "Yeah, she's got Tom's smile," She admitted.

"I can't wait 'til I have kids," Hermione said.

"Oh, you can hun!" Julie laughed.

"Yeah, but I want to get married and have my business and then have kids," Hermione said.

"I know what you mean, I can not wait to start my restaurant," Julie said. "After Aria is a little older of course. Tom says he'll support us until then and he's by my side all the way," She added, answering any unasked questions.

Julie had never complained about Ariadne all that much. She loved having her own child, even though it postponed all her plans of work. She still went to college, mostly because she didn't live far from her college. She walked there everyday and walked back. She and Tom, her fiancé, worked out a schedule. She went to school during the day, while Tom took care of Aria. Tom went to work at night, while Julie took Aria. Hermione found her to be one of the most admirable people she had every met.

"He is so perfect," Hermione commented.

"Yeah, he's a pain at times but, ultimately, he's my knight in shining armor," Julie said. "So tell me, What's got you all glowing? Or should I say _who_?" She asked.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, blushing.

"What do you mean _'what are you talking about'_?" Julie asked. "You know what I'm talking about because you're blushing," She added.

"I'm not blushing," Hermione said. But she could feel the blush creep higher up her cheeks.

"What's his name?" Julie thought for a minute. "Or her name?" She added.

"Haha your funny," Hermione said.

"What you could be gay. There is nothing wrong with being gay," She said as they pulled into the mall parking lot.

"Is it really that obvious?" Hermione asked.

"That you're gay?" Julie asked.

"No, that I'm in love," Hermione said, smacking her friend on the arm. Hr heart stopped when she realized that she had said she loved Draco. _When did I decide that: When you first met him. _Her voice had come back from its vacation. _I did no such thing! I hated him: Whatever you say. _

"Ah," Julie said, backing into a parking space. "Of course it was obvious," She said. She looked in the rear-view mirror again. "Oh look, someone's finally awake."

Hermione turned to look at Ariadne, smiling. The little girl yawned and smiled at her. "She's adorable," Hermione complimented. They climbed out of the car.

"You say that because you don't have to stay up with her all night," Julie laughed as she unbuckled her daughter from the car seat. "But yeah she is a cutie," Julie lifted Aria into her arms and set her on her hip. Hermione closed the car door. "Here," Julie handed her daughter to Hermione. "Hold her for a minute."

Hermione watched as her friend dug through her trunk for the baby carrier and stroller. She opened up the stroller and Hermione handed Ariadne over to her. She strapped her into the stroller and put the baby carrier on the bottom with the baby bag.

"So, who is he?" Julie asked as they walked toward the mall entrance.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Who is he?" Julie asked again.

"Oh, well-" She said.

"Oh come on Hermione! Just spit it out," Julie said.

"Right," Hermione said as they walked into the mall. "You know that kid from my school?"

"Hermione what kid? Aren't there like 5 billion kids in your school?" Julie asked.

"The one who I hate. The one that made fun of me. The one who made my school years miserable," Hermione said.

"Okay, he ruined your life, I get it. What about him?" Julie asked.

"Well, I learned that he does have a heart," Hermione continued.

"Okay, so he's not a heartless…" Julie knelt down and covered her daughter's ears. "…bastard anymore," She said. Hermione laughed.

"No, he's not. Actually, he's kind of depressed," Hermione said. "And he's really sweet, and oddly amazing," She finished.

Julie let go of Aria's ears and stood up. "So you're in love with a not so heartless, _depressed_…" She mouthed the word 'bastard'. Hermione had to laugh.

"Yeah, as weird as it sounds…yeah," Hermione said.

"You've got problems," Julie said.

"Of course, who doesn't?" Hermione asked. "Well, he's got a nice body and he's a great kisser," she added.

"Oh that's a plus!" Julie giggled.

The two girls spent hours shopping and, every once in a while, feeding Ariadne. They shopped until it was somewhere past one. They were starving as they approached the food court. Their stomachs growled angrily and their feet pleaded for rest. They sat at a table by the window.

"God I'm hungry!" Julie said. She looked at Aria, who was satisfied sucking on her tiny thumb. She was lively as ever. "Lucky you, you got food already," Julie said to her. The little girl grinned. Julie sighed. "I'm so hungry I could eat you," She said to her daughter, who grinned wider.

"What do you feel like eating?" Hermione asked.

"Hmm," Julie said, looking around. "I dunno, you pick. I'll stay here with the bundle of joy," Julie said.

"Kay, I'll be right back," Hermione got up and headed to the different restaurants. She settled for a good Chinese place and ordered. She turned and bumped into a tall and perfectly muscular guy. "Excuse me," She said and looked up. "Hey Tom!"

"Hey Hermione!" Tom said. "What are you doing here?" He asked, looking down at her through his bleached dark hair (he bleached it but his original color was showing).

"Julie and I were Christmas shopping," Hermione explained.

"Julie is here?" He asked. His face glowed.

"Yeah, we're sitting over by the window," She said.

"Here, let me help you," He said, taking some of the food from her.

"Thanks," She led the way back to her table. "Guess who I found," Hermione said when she reached Julie.

"Who?" Julie asked. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked when she spotted Tom.

He set the food on the table and leaned down to kiss her. "I was meeting Billy here," He said. "What about you?" He asked.

"Christmas shopping!" Hermione and Julie exclaimed together.

"Oh, did you need me to take Aria? You should've asked, I would have taken her," Tom said.

"No! Go hang with Billy! I am fine," Julie said. "You need to have a life, go and live one."

Hermione chuckled as she listened to them talk. She steadily ate her much deserved Chinese food and watched the two argue. In the end Julie won. Tom said 'Goodbye' and went off to find Billy. Julie turned to her looking very accomplished.

"Ha, I showed him," She said.

"Ha, you showed him," Hermione agreed.

"So when did this fascinating affair with the not so heartless depressed…you know what…start?" Julie asked. Hermione chuckled again.

"When we were put in the same dorm," Hermione said.

"Ooh that must have hurt at first," Julie said. Hermione nodded and told her friend all about the first time they kissed. She went into detail about how weird he acted. She told Julie about seeing Ron kissing Pansy, the love letters and the ice skating. She showed her the locket, which she wore everyday. By the time she was done, they were heading out of the mall and packing the bags in the car. They strapped Ariadne in her car seat again.

"So yeah, that's about it," Hermione finished.

"Jeez, you're in love," Julie said, getting in the driver seat of the car.

"You think?" Hermione asked.

"Uh, duh. Honey, you are head over heels in love, trust me." She said.

Hermione grinned. "I guess so," She said. There she was again, admitting her undying love for the boy she had sworn she hated.

For the rest of the ride, they talked and watched as raindrops splattered across the windows. It was pouring when they reached their neighborhood. Julie parked the car in her driveway, across the street from Hermione's house. They rushed out, Hermione with the bags and Julie with Aria. They ran into Julie's house and sprinted up the stairs to her room. Julie hid her bags in the far corner of her closet and closed the doors.

Hermione sat on the bed, playing with Aria. "Now we need to run across the street," Hermione laughed.

"We can wait until my parents get home. They can watch Aria while I go run you over there," Julie said. "Don't want her catching a cold," She added.

Hermione spent a few more hours at Julie's house. They talked and laughed and exchanged secrets as usual. Julie was Hermione's closest muggle friend and they became even closer when Tom told her he was a wizard. She was Hermione's only muggle friend that knew about the wizarding world.

Julie's parents got home at ten. It was still pouring so Julie walked, or ran rather, her across the street. Hermione hid her bags in her room and sat down in the living room with her dad.

"How was your shopping trip?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Superb!" Hermione said.

Hermione spent an hour with her dad, just watching TV and decided to head up to her room. She dressed down into her cozy pajamas, a tank top and shorts, and then huddled under her warm sheets reading her favorite romance novel. She was so engrossed in the book that she lost track of the time. Guessing it was somewhere around 1 am she got up to turn off her light.

Hermione huddled back under her sheets to sleep when she heard it. There was a light tapping sound on her window. At first, she thought it was a tree but when she looked, there was a figure outside her window. She grabbed her wand and cautiously walked toward the window.

Suddenly, she realized what it was and she opened the window. "Draco! What in the bloody-" She couldn't finish because he had cupped her face in his hand and kissed her. The force of his kiss shocked her. He kissed like they hadn't seen each other for years. They were away from each other for barely a whole week but it did _feel _like each day was a year.

She slid her arms around his neck and his arms slid down her body to her waist. His touch sent shivers down her spine and she practically melted in his arms. She suddenly became aware of the fact that she was snogging a boy in her bedroom… in the middle of the night. That wasn't exactly abiding by house rules, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away from him.

"Draco," She said into his lips, as an attempt to pull away. It was to no avail of course. She ended up pulling him closer. Then Draco finally pulled away. Hermione breathed deeply. "What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" She whispered, slightly dazed.

"Long story," Draco said, still holding her.

"Oh God, you're soaked!" She said. He was dripping everywhere. His wet hair stuck to his forehead and dripped down his face. His clothes clung to his body like suction cups. "You're going to catch some kind of cold," She added. Hermione dashed to her door. She checked the hall to make sure no one heard her or Draco. Then she closed and locked the door. "What time is it?" She asked him.

"No idea," Draco said. "Last time I checked it was ten," He added.

"It's definitely not ten," Hermione said. "How did you know where I lived?" She asked, incredulously.

Draco laughed. "Gwyn," He said. "I think she's the only person I know that knows where everyone lives," He laughed again.

Hermione sighed and smiled. "Well you can't sit around all wet." She went through her drawers and pulled out a towel. "Here, dry yourself off. If you're muddy, you might take a shower," She said. "Bathroom's over there," She added.

"Thanks," He said and went toward the bathroom.

"Oh and Draco," She said.

He turned. "Yes," He said.

"Hi," She laughed. "I'm glad you're here…even if it is in the middle of the night."

He grinned and walked into the bathroom.

Hermione fell back on her bed. _I am going to be in so much trouble. : Not if your parents don't find out he's here…which they probably won't. : Thanks, cause that helps a whole lot. _She closed her eyes. _Alright, this situation is only a little awkward. : Suck it up. You can deal with this. : Oh dear lord. But he looks even hotter when he's wet. _Hermione grinned at the thought. She was crazy for breaking her house rules, which she had never ever even thought about doing. Then again she had never ever even thought that she and Malfoy would end up together. _I guess anything is possible. : Yeah and plus, rules are meant to be broken. _She rolled her eyes at the common phrase.

Draco lied down next to her. She hadn't even heard him come out of the bathroom nor did she hear him approach her. She smiled at him and leaned into his chest. His arm wrapped around her, giving her a feeling of security. "So...what amazingly good deed have I done to be privileged enough to be graced by your lovely presence?" Hermione asked. Draco laughed, sending the most pleasant feelings through her body. After a minute, he stopped suddenly. Hermione glanced up at him to make sure he was alright.

Draco sucked in a deep breath. "Remember when I told you I'd explain the whole situation with my dad to you before break?" He asked.

"Yeah, and you forgot," Hermione said. He laughed only not as light hearted as he had just minutes ago.

"Yeah," He said.

Hermione's brain started up and she began piecing what he was saying together. "Wait, did you run away from home?" She asked suspiciously. Of course he did. Why else would he have climbed through her bedroom window in the middle of the night?

"Sort of... temporarily," He said. "I usually go to Blaise's or someone's."

"What happened?" Hermione asked hesitantly. Did she really want to know?

"Same as usual," He said. "I got in trouble for something stupid. And lately, I've been back talking my dad," He added.

"Wait, does your dad…" She stopped. She tried to frantically shove the thought our of her head and wished that she was wrong.

"…Beat the crap out of whenever he feels like it? Yeah," Draco said.

Hermione's stomach turned and she felt sick for a minute. What parent would do such a thing to their only child? Was Draco's father psychotic? "Is that why you ran away?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, that happens every once in a while--me running away."

"Is there ever a reason why he…you know?" Hermione asked. She had never known that he was abused by his father and she couldn't get past how calmly he said it.

"Well my father has never agreed with my choices in potential soul mates," Draco laughed. "He believes in that completely outdated pureblood rule," He added.

"What exactly is the pureblood rule?" Hermione asked.

"Uh, the whole thing about preserving the blood and all that crap. I, apparently, have to marry a pureblood or I dishonor the family," He said. She looked at him.

"And what do you think about the rule?" She asked.

"It's outdated and stupid. I consider it to be a load of crap," He said. He smiled at her. "I prefer leaving it up to fate," He added. "That's something I thought of when I fell for Lisa. It pissed off my dad but I didn't care. And now…" He trailed off.

"And now it's started up again," Hermione finished. She couldn't bear to think that Draco would suffer just for liking her.

"Hey, I can't help who I love," Draco said.

The butterflies in Hermione's stomach fluttered. He had just admitted to loving her, more or less. He loved her. The thought rang through her body. She felt the shivers creep across her body, shivers of happiness. The blush that rose up her cheeks gave her feelings away.

Draco's thumb brushed against her reddened cheek. A smile danced across his lips. "Does that make you blush?" He asked.

"No," Hermione said immediately. "Wait what?" She asked.

"Does the word love make you blush?" He asked, barely able to contain his smile.

"Wha…no it doesn't," She assured as she blushed more.

Draco grinned and leaned down so he was closer to her ear. "I love you," He said, his lips just barely brushing her ear. He kissed the hollow of her ear and her blush grew.

Not only did her blush grow, but her sense of security grew as did her feelings for him. The tingling sensation she felt increased and her heart pounded. This was the first time he had directly said that he loved her and for a moment, she was rendered speechless. Of course, he didn't help her loss for words as he kissed along her jaw.

"I love you too," She whispered when she finally regained her voice. It was only a whisper but it was meaningfully powerful. It was just as powerful as the kiss that followed.

**There, I'm done. So did you like it? Love it? REVIEW and tell me! Meanwhile, I'll start on chapter 19! Thanks to all my faithful reviewers! Oh and if you all review, I'll have the next chapter by tomorrow. I already started it but I just might be motivated to finish it. REVIEW! Love ya!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Hey! This is not as long as chapter 18 but it's still kind of meaningful. It's sort of another fill in…but a meaningful fill in. Enjoy!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 19- Boyfriend **

Hermione woke up unusually early. She found herself lying against the most comfortable person she had ever been near. A smile spread across her face as remembered the events of the other night. She and Draco had stayed up talking for hours. He had said he loved her. She couldn't stop smiling at the thought. Julie would automatically notice her mood and ask questions. For once, Hermione wouldn't mind. She wanted to share her happiness with anyone and everyone.

"Morning." His sweet voice rang through her ears. She lifted her head from his chest.

"Morning," She said, smiling.

The only dampen in her mind were her parents. They would be furious if they found out she spent the night with a boy in her room. _They won't find out. _Her voice assured. She believed that for a while…until her mother woke up.

"Hermione, sweetheart, are you awake?" She asked through the door.

Hermione looked at the closed door. "Yes, I'm dressing," She called. Draco understood the dire situation and prepared to climb out the window.

"Well, hurry honey, breakfast is on the table," Her mother said.

"That's weird," Hermione whispered. "Okay," She called to her mom.

"What's weird?" Draco asked.

"Early breakfast, we must be going somewhere today," She said. "You know what, you could climb out the window and then knock on the front door and pretend-" She stopped.

"Can't, I have to get home before my dad finds out I'm gone," He said. "I'll come back later, if you still want me to," He added.

"Sure, of course," Hermione said brightening.

Draco grinned. "Okay," He leaned down and kissed her. "See you," He said, pulling away and backing up to the window.

Hermione watched as he climbed out. Then she hurried to get dressed so that she wasn't completely lying to her mother. She unlocked and opened her door, dancing down the stairs.

"Morning!" She exclaimed, kissing her dad on the cheek and hugging her mom.

"Morning," Mr. Granger said. "What has you all happy today?" He asked.

"Nothing, I'm just excited for Christmas, It's Tuesday! And today's Saturday, which means there aren't many days in between today and Christmas!" She said.

"Are you done all your shopping?" Her mother asked.

"I just have to go to Diagon Alley to get something for Harry, Ginny and Ron," Hermione said. Yet, she had someone other than Harry and Ron on her mind. She already had his present, thanks to Gwyn.

"Don't go by yourself. Go with Tom or someone," Jane Granger said.

"I won't go by myself, don't worry," She assured. "So, why the early breakfast?"

"No reason, just an early start to the day," Her mother replied. "You hungry?"

"Yes, starving," She replied. After she ate, Julie was at the door; just as she predicted. The two girls sat in Hermione's room and talked. "Where's the bundle of joy?" Hermione asked.

"Still sleeping, I didn't want to wake her," Julie said. "Don't worry, she's with her dad. I'm not a completely terrible mother," She added.

Hermione grinned. "I wasn't going to say that you were a terrible mother…and you're not," She said.

"Sure," Julie said. "Now, to business."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"What happened last night?" Julie asked. "And don't tell me nothing because I saw that hot kid climb in your window," She added.

"Are you spying on me?" Hermione asked shocked.

"No, you're not that interesting," Julie laughed. "Now spill."

"Alright, you know that guy I was telling you about yesterday?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I am aware of the not so heartless depressed bastard that you fell in love with," Julie said, smiling.

"You make a point of saying that at least once a day, don't you?" Hermione said.

"Well, I try," She said.

"Well anyway, he came over last night," Hermione started. "Nothing much really happened. But we talked like all night."

"Is that why I could see your shine a mile away?" Julie asked.

"That's not exactly why. It's what he said," She told her friend.

"What'd he say?" Julie asked.

"That he loved me," Hermione informed happily.

"Ooh is that the first time he said it out loud?" Her friend asked. She nodded. "Aw, that's so cute."

_Draco _

Draco climbed into his room through the window, almost tripping. He took a deep breath and fumbled around his room for clothes. He slid on loose fitting faded jeans and threw on a t-shirt. He opened his door and walked downstairs.

"Morning!" Gwyn said when Draco walked into the kitchen.

"Morning!" He said back. "Oh and thanks, for yesterday," He added.

"No problem," She said. "No one knows you were gone. They all think you locked yourself in your room," She added.

"Which, ultimately, I did," He said, grinning.

"So, you seem happy," Gwyn commented.

"I am… I am… I am happy," He laughed.

"Are you wasted?" Gwyn asked.

"No," He replied.

"High?" She asked.

"No, why would you think that?" Draco asked.

"Um, if you saw the way you were just acting, you'd think the same thing," Gwyn said. Draco just laughed. "And that just proves my theory," She mumbled.

"Morning," Gwyn's mother said.

"Morning!" Draco and Gwyn both exclaimed.

"Well aren't we enthusiastic today," She said. "Draco, your mother was worried to death about you yesterday. I told her that you needed some rest and wished not to be bothered. Was that okay?" Annabelle asked. The thing about Gwyn's mother was that she never got into your business. She would stick up for you without hesitation but she never needed details. This trait made everyone _want _to tell her the details. She made excuses for Draco whenever he needed one. For that reason, she was the most admired and well-informed mothers.

"Yeah, that was fine, thanks," Draco said.

"No problem," She said.

"I'll tell you about it later," He assured.

"Don't sweat it; you don't need to explain it to me. I don't need to know the details," She insisted.

"Right," Draco said.

"Draco!" Narcissa exclaimed.

"Morning mother," Draco said.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked.

"I'm better," He said.

Draco knew his mother well enough to know that she didn't believe he was at home the other night. She had easily figured out his system. She knew he ran away every once in a while and she knew that he pretended to lock himself in his room and she knew that he wouldn't come back until the morning. But she never dared to mention it, just incase his father overheard.

Narcissa found it hard to sit around; knowing that her only child was beat on every now and again. Yet, she didn't know how to stop it. She didn't want to go as far as Annabelle had and divorce Lucius. She still loved him but he was suffering and as a result of his suffering, he was making his family suffer.

Lucius used to be fun and happy, but the more he hung around the dark lord the worse he got. When Voldemort was 'killed' (the first time), Lucius went ballistic. He always looked over his shoulder, waiting for someone to attack him for being a Death Eater. After a few years of no confrontation, he got confident and he loosened. During Draco's childhood, he was the perfect father and then something changed. He started bossing his son around and yelling like a drunken person.

Narcissa never knew the reason for his sudden change of attitude but she tried to deal with it as best she could. After a while, she realized that he was readying his son to become a death eater if the time arose. Of course she was furious. What mother would want her son following those steps? To her great delight, Draco never showed interest, but he looked up to his father as a role model and tried to please him in any way he could. That lasted for a few years until he met Lisa. That was when he started talking back. He changed his outlook on everything. He seemed to change in more ways than one. His father beat on him more but there was no changing Draco's mind.

Inside, Lucius was still his old self. He was sweet and fatherly but he was always too afraid to show it. Narcissa had no idea how to help him but she knew one thing; she was not going to let him ruin Draco's chance of walking away from his parents' mistakes.

"Mum, Gwyn and I are going out today. Is that okay?" Draco asked. Gwyn looked at him, confused.

"Sure hun, just don't be out too late," Narcissa said.

"Kay," He said. Draco motioned for Gwyn to follow him up stairs. She sighed but complied.

"Where are we going 'out'?" Gwyn asked.

"I need to go somewhere, but if I tell mum and my dad asks where I went, she'll have to lie. I don't feel like bringing her down with me. So I'm going and you can hang out with Spencer or someone," Draco informed.

"Fine, but you owe me big time," Gwyn replied.

"Yeah, yeah I owe you," He said. "But we have to wait a bit," He added.

"'Til when?" Gwyn asked.

"Until one at least," Draco answered.

"Well, it's ten now," Gwyn said.

"It took me that long to get here?" He asked. That was reasonable since he walked home instead of apparating. What's more, he took the long way.

"Guess so," She said.

_Hermione _

"Jeez, you still have Christmas shopping to do?" Julie asked.

"Yeah, three people. But I want to get something for my friends' mom as well. She's so nice, she deserves something," Hermione said. She and Julie were lying across her bedroom floor talking their brains out. They had watched half of three different movies to ease their boredom. "What about you?" Hermione asked.

"I just need to get something for Tom," Julie said. "Could you help me? I don't know what I should get. It has to be special but I'm not sure," She added.

"Of course I'll help!" Hermione said.

"What'd you get the not so heartless depressed bastard?" Julie asked.

"You have fun saying that, don't you?" Hermione asked her friend, grinning.

"Yes, it's fun to say. And I have to say it as much as possible before Tom brings Aria over here," Julie said.

"But he's not a bastard," Hermione said.

"Not anymore, you mean," Julie corrected.

"He might not have ever been," Hermione said.

"No, I think he was a heartless bastard when you first met him," Julie said, remembering all the bad things she had heard about him. "Is someone at your door?" Julie asked tilting her head. Hermione strained her ears to listen. Indeed, there was a knock at her door. "Did your parents already leave for work?" Julie asked.

"Yeah, like two minutes ago," Hermione said, standing up.

"It's probably Tom with Aria," Julie said, also standing. The two girls rushed down the stairs. Julie opened the door and stared at who it was. "You're not Tom," She said after a few minutes.

Hermione looked over her shoulder. "Draco!"

"Hey," He said, looking frozen.

"Here, come in," Hermione said. She pulled Julie back a little, opening the door wider.

"Thanks," He said. Julie closed the door behind him.

"Draco, this is my friend Julie. Julie, Draco," Hermione said.

Draco smiled his smile and Hermione's heart almost melted. "Hi," He said.

"Wait, _you're _the not so heartless sick bastard?" Julie asked. Hermione smacked Julie's arm and dropped her head into her hand. Draco looked from Julie to Hermione, slightly confused. "Sorry, Hi," Julie said.

"Nice Julie, nice," Hermione murmured. "Here," She said, guiding Draco to the kitchen. "You hungry?" She asked.

"Not really, I had a big breakfast," He said.

"You never told me he was _that _hot," Julie mumbled under her breath. There was another knock on the door. "Ha, that's Tom," Julie said, dashing out of the room.

Hermione sat next to Draco. "Sorry, she's kind of odd," Hermione said.

"She's definitely interesting," Draco said.

"Don't worry I think Julie is the craziest friend I have," Hermione assured. "So if you survive being around her, you're a shoo-in," She added.

Julie walked in with Ariadne in her arms and Tom at her side. "Look who I found," She said.

"Hey Tom," Hermione said.

"Tom, that's Hermione's boyfriend, Draco," Julie said. Hermione looked at her, she didn't remember saying that Draco was her boyfriend. _Who cares! We all know you want him to be! _Her voice said. Tom greeted Draco warmly.

"And that's Ariadne," Hermione said nodding toward the baby in Julie's arms.

"Nice to meet you," Draco said, holding out his hand. Aria took his finger giggling; Draco smiled and proceeded to shake her hand…sort of.

"Aw, she likes you," Julie said. She turned to Tom. "Kay, I'll see you later?" She asked.

He nodded, kissing her. "Yeah, I'll be off by ten," He assured before backing up to the door.

"Love ya," Julie said.

"Love you," Tom said, grinning. They waited to hear the door close and Julie locked it quickly.

"Right, now we can scheme against him," Julie said, sitting down with Aria in her lap.

"Oh yeah, we have to finish that," Hermione agreed with a laugh.

"Remind me to never leave you alone," Draco mumbled.

"Oh don't worry, we'll scheme against you while you're still in the room," Julie assured. Draco laughed.

"That makes me feel a lot better," He said.

"Oh, we have to hurry," Julie said suddenly.

"Yeah, if we want to be back by the time my parents get home," Hermione agreed.

"Am I going to be pushed into going with you two?" Draco asked.

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, grinning brightly.

"Why on earth would we leave you out of the fun?" Julie asked. She was throwing on her coat while making sure her daughter was bundled up.

"What sort of fun?" Draco asked cautiously.

"Mall trip," Hermione replied. She saw the look of shock and horror on his face, and her smile grew wider.

Draco felt his eye twitch slightly. The last time he went to the mall, he was with Gwyn. It wasn't what he called fun and that was when she was trying to keep him in a good mood. He still remembered going shopping with Pansy; that was a nightmare, she dragged him everywhere. Thinking of the two examples, he realized that the mall trip he was about to embark upon was going to be more similar to the latter. He groaned inwardly. _Why, oh why is it always me? Why?_

Julie looked at him, grinning. "Don't worry, this trip is strictly business," She reassured him.

"Business in which your assistance may be required," Hermione added.

Draco let out a sigh. "Alright, you have no complaints from me," He said.

The girls smiled and led the way out to Julie's car. "Lucky you, you get sit with Ariadne," Julie said. "Unless you know how to drive," She added.

"I know how to drive but it's more a matter of whether I have a license or not," Draco replied.

Julie grinned at his comment. "I like this kid. Where'd you _really _find him?" She said to Hermione, who grinned and slid into the passenger seat.

"Sometimes I'm not too sure," Hermione said.

The ride to the mall was entertaining. Draco talked easily with both Julie and Hermione. He played with Aria, who seemed to like him, a little. But the entire time, his hand was linked with Hermione's.

Their time in the actual mall wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. He actually had fun, a surprise they all enjoyed. He attempted to assist in Julie's search for the perfect gift for Tom. She settled for a comfortable leather jacket, which Draco assured would be a good gift, and a coffee mug with a picture of Ariadne and her and the words 'Daddy's girls' on it.

By the time they were finished, it was eight and Hermione's parents were home. They parked in Julie's driveway. Draco and Hermione helped her carry her bags in while she held onto a sleeping Aria. Draco walked Hermione back to her house. They sat on her porch swing before going in.

Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "I have a question," She said.

"Hmm," Draco answered.

"Would you mind going to Diagon Alley with me tomorrow?" She asked. He looked at her. "I need to get some presents for people and my parents don't want me to go alone," She explained.

"Sure, I'll go," Draco said.

"Thanks," She said.

"So, I'm your boyfriend now, huh?" He said with the hint of a smile.

"I don't know, what do you think?" She asked, hoping just hoping that he'd say whet she wanted him to say.

"I think it sounds like a good idea," He said.

"So it's official," Hermione said, grinning.

"It's official," Draco confirmed. They sat together watching as tiny flakes of snow began to fall. Hermione snuggled up closer to Draco. They sat there until the snow started to fall in blinding sheets. "Wow, this weather is pretty interesting," Draco said. "Yesterday, it was raining and now it's snowing."

"Yeah, pretty fun to watch," Hermione said, admiring the delicate snowflakes. Draco stood up, pulling Hermione up with him. "Unfortunately, I have to be home tonight," He said.

"That's quite understandable, considering that you ran away yesterday," Hermione agreed.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Draco said, leaning down to kiss her. Their lips touched and, as usual, refused to part. Draco finally pulled away, rather reluctantly. He backed up. "Seeya," He walked off the porch.

"Draco," Hermione called only wanting to see his face one last time before tomorrow.

He turned to face her and, understanding her reasoning, blew her a kiss while grinning to himself. He watched her walk into her house before apparating home. Just as they planned, Gwyn arrived at the same time as he did; nine.

"How was your day?" Gwyn asked.

"Perfect," Draco said.

**Yay! They're officially together. Took 'em long enough. I just noticed something about myself. I criticize my writing harshly and then do absolutely nothing to change it…well, almost nothing. It's rather funny if you're watching me as I do it. Well, enough rambling from me. What'd you think? Was this chapter worth writing? REVIEW!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I know that I only have a disclaimer every like ten chapters so here's another one. I…DON'T…OWN…HARRY…POTTER! There, that wasn't so hard.**

**Now for my nonsensical rant…**

**Have any of you gone to Hershey Park? I went for a school thing like a month ago. It was so much fun and today I had the oddest urge to go again. Or I could go to Dorney Park; that would be fun as well. If only I was rich and had a license…and a car. Oh and I need patience so I can refrain from strangling my dear little brother. Well, my rant for today is done. Enjoy!-entertainment in a box!--hehe sorry. On with the story!**

**Reincarnated Love**

**Chapter 20- Malfoy Manor **

Draco woke up ecstatic. Hermione had called Gwyn's phone late the other night, wanting to talk to him. Gwyn was a bit peeved but she cheered up when he approved of her listening to their conversation. He and Hermione came to the decision that he'd pick her up and they'd leave for Diagon Alley from his house. He wasn't too excited about her coming to his house, but was comforted when informed that Lucius was to be away for the day.

Draco slipped out of his bed and debated on his clothing choice. Gwyn popped in, as was her new routine. "Morning, my dear Draco!" She exclaimed.

"Morning," Draco mumbled, shuffling through his enormous closet.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Looking," Draco answered.

"For what?" Gwyn asked.

"Clothes," He replied.

"Ah, I see," She said. "Can't figure out what to wear?" She asked shocked. "You don't know what to wear? That is impossible!" She continued sarcastically.

"I get it Gwyn," Draco said.

"I think it's cute. More than I can say for Blaise. He just throws on any old thing and expects to be noticed and fawned over," Gwyn said.

"He does throw on anything and he is noticed and fawned over by almost every girl in school. That is, except for the one he wants to fawn over him," Draco chuckled. "You are aware of his desperate crush on you, are you not?" He asked.

"What?"

"Blaise adores you," Draco informed. "He kisses the ground that your gentle feet grace with your presence!" He added dramatically.

"Oh shut up!" Gwyn said. "I am aware. To say that I feel terrible about it would be an understatement," She said. "But Blaise is quite handsome and he can get any girl he wants," She added matter-of-factly.

"Yeah all except three; Weasley's sister, you and Hermione," Draco said. Gwyn laughed at the last name. "Help me out please, this on or this one?" He held up a black button down shirt in one hand and a green shirt.

"Do you really have to ask?" Gwyn said staring at the green shirt rather disgustedly.

"You're right," Draco said. "Black one it is," He added. He slipped on the shirt and threw on slightly faded, light blue jeans. He slid on his shoes easily and grabbed his jacket. Gwyn followed him out of his room.

"So you're picking her up?" She asked.

Draco stared at her. "Yes, is that a problem?" He asked.

"No, I think it's sweet," She said, grinning.

He sighed. "You told my mother didn't you?" He asked.

"It might've slipped," Gwyn said.

"So that's why you were sucking up," Draco said.

"Sort of. But your mom says that she will not make a big deal. She is going to pretend to sleep until you leave," Gwyn comforted.

"That makes it all better," He said with a hint of sarcasm. He looked at his cousin. "You know she's not really going to be asleep. She's going to pretend that she didn't know that we didn't leave yet. Then, she'll insist on an introduction, which will result in my enormous annoyance," Draco said.

"Yeah, I know. That is why I'm going to spend the day with Spencer," Gwyn said. He looked at her. She was wearing a blue peasant styled top with white flowers embroidered on the bottom, a denim mini skirt and knee high, leather, high-heeled boots that hugged her legs. (A/N-I must say that I love leather boots, they are so much fun.) Her hair was in loose curls, pulled back in a half up-half down style with a sparkling clip. Her pea-coat was laid across her arm in the same fashion as his. He raised an eyebrow. "What?" She asked, noticing his scrutiny.

"Your legs aren't going to be frozen?" He asked.

She grinned. "Because I am over aged I have privileges which entail me being able to use magic outside of school," She said proudly. He shook his head.

"And you seem very proud of that fact," He replied.

"I assure you, I am," She said. "Also, my legs won't be cold because these boots practically cover all of my legs," She added, a smile placed on her face. "Mum! We're leaving!" She yelled. They both slid on their jackets and walked out the door together.

"So where are you and Spencer hanging out?" Draco asked.

"I don't know. Diagon Alley, the mall, other places…France," Gwyn said.

"France?" Draco asked. He smiled and shook his head.

"He has a whole day planned, but I have no idea what's going on."

"Sounds like a date," Draco said.

"Yeah, he said something about Christmas…I wasn't paying attention,"

She admitted.

"What a nice girlfriend," Draco said sarcastically. "So where is he?"

"He wants me to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron…something about a surprise," She said.

"You're terrible," He said.

"Sometimes I actually enjoy it," She said grinning.

"Well, seeya," Draco said and he apparated. He found himself at Hermione's front door, exactly where he intended to be. The slight risk that a muggle would see him unnerved him but he assured himself that no one did.

He hesitated before knocking but knocked all the same. The door opened almost immediately. Draco looked at the woman who stood before him. She had short brown hair and brown eyes that resembled Hermione's. She was a normal height and smiled brightly at him. "Hi, I'm Draco, is Hermione home?" He knew she was home but it was polite to ask.

"Yes of course, come in," The woman said. She ushered him into the kitchen after closing the door. "I'm Jane Granger, Hermione's mother," She introduced. He smiled.

"I'm very glad to meet you," He said, with his natural charm. He easily swayed parents using his inherited Malfoy charm. It was the one good thing about being born a Malfoy.

"Well, I am glad to meet you as well, Draco," Mrs. Granger said, smiling.

"This is my husband Frank," She added, introducing him to a man with dark hair. The man stood, reaching a height over 6 feet. He scrutinized Draco with his hazel eyes.

"You must be Draco," He said, holding out a hand. Draco shook his hand.

"Yes sir." The manners that his father had forced into his brain were kicking in.

"Have a seat," Mr. Granger said. He sat obediently.

"Would you like something to eat?" Jane Granger asked.

"No thank you," Draco said with a smile that could even dazzle his own father. He was great at pretending he was the perfect child. Plenty of parents had mentioned that they wanted a child as obedient and respectful as he was. In all actuality, he was more messed up than any other child, but it never hurt to pretend.

"So you're the young man that helped Hermione and her friends with all that mess during the summer, huh?" Mr. Granger said conversationally.

"I guess. There were a lot of people helping…" Draco trailed off.

"Yes, but you were the spy, correct?"

"Yes sir." He couldn't deny that.

"You're a brave young man," Hermione's father said.

Draco nodded. _What is this, 20 questions? Jeez, is he bent on making me feel uncomfortable?_ He thought.

Draco was pulled out of his thoughts when Hermione came down the stairs. She was wearing a low v-neck, baby-blue sweater and a lacy black tank top that peeked through to cover up any cleavage that would be showing from the sweater (well, most of it). She had on a short black skirt that was extended in length by short layers of black lace. The skirt was embroidered with blue designs. Her legs were half covered by knee-high, baby-blue suede, high-heeled boots--quite similar to those worn by Gwyn. Her hair lay gracefully on her shoulders in caramel colored curls.

_What is with girls and wearing short skirts in the middle of winter? Do they enjoy freezing their asses off? _Despite his inward ranting of disapproval, hesecretly loved the outfit on her. He loved the way it fit her body just rightand the colors looked great against her skin._ She may become an icicle, but she'll be a hot icicle_. He thought.

She grinned at him and he displayed his sexiest smile, almost knocking her off her feet from lack of oxygen. "Morning!" Hermione said, remembering to breathe—because for a moment she had forgotten.

"Morning sweetie," Mrs. Granger said.

"Alright, we'll be going now," She said.

"Okay honey," Mrs. Granger said.

"Be safe," Mr. Granger called after them.

Hermione grabbed her black pea coat and a wrapped box from the sofa. She then led Draco outside. He looked at her, smiling. "Well don't you look sexy in your matching outfit," He said, planting a kiss on her soft lips. She grinned.

"Why thank you," Hermione said. "You look pretty sexy yourself," She laughed, sending those oh so familiar shivers done his spine. When did he not look sexy? He could wear rags and still be the hottest guy on the planet.

They walked down from the porch and continued a little farther. Hermione stopped and looked at her companion. "They tried conversation, didn't they?" She asked. He smiled dazzling her again. You would think that as the greatest witch of her age she would be able to overcome the charm of a boy. But…No, she couldn't; he got her every time. After all he wasn't just any boy; he was Draco Malfoy--sexiest wizard alive.

"It wasn't a pitiful attempt," Draco reassured. "Nothing like my parents," He mumbled.

She smiled at him and it was his turn to be dazzled. Her eyes glistened with a look that he had come to love. "We should probably go to the back; it's safer to do magic back there." Hermione led Draco back behind her house, where they checked to make sure no one was watching them. "Oh wait, here," She said, handing him the box she had taken from her house. "It's your Christmas present. But you have to promise that you won't open it until Christmas," She added.

He looked at her with pure love in his eyes. "Thanks," He said. "And I do promise," He added with slight reluctance.

"No peeking either," Hermione informed sternly.

Draco rolled his gray blue eyes, which seemed to turn a bright sea blue in the sunlight. "Right, right, no peeking," He said grudgingly. She grinned at him and they apparated to the Malfoy Manor.

Hermione gasped at the beauty of the huge home. It took up so much land that it seemed to be a country all in its own. The mansion was painted a perfect white and pillars guarded the door on each side. There were high windows and balconies. There were even stained glass windows.

Draco gave her arm a tug and guided her into the extraordinary house. The mahogany floors shined with a purpose and the elegant furniture made the room look all the more perfect. There was a large staircase on either side of the room, both leading to the bridge like landing--similar to their dorm only bigger and more extraordinary. Draco and Hermione stepped down the two small steps that separated them from the perfect room. He led her up the stairs on the right and down a hall. Pictures hung on the light green colored walls. Witches and Wizards switched from portrait to portrait to get a peek at the very attractive newcomer.

Draco turned to a green door, decorated with gold designs. He opened the door and walked into his extremely tidy bedroom. The walls were still that light shade of green but they sported photos, drawings, and to-do lists. His four-poster bed was covered in green, black, and silver silk sheets; with pillows to match.

"Is this your room?" Hermione asked. She looked around in amazement.

"Yep," Draco said, putting his Christmas present from her in his walk-in closet with the rest of the presents. He figured that would help him keep his promise. "I have the rest of your present but there's no point in giving it to you now. You'll get it when we come back," He said.

"Fine with me," Hermione said.

"Alright, let's go before my mother realizes that we're here," He said, pulling her out of the room and shutting the door behind him. They rushed down into the living room. They stood in front of the large marble fireplace. "Ready?" He asked.

"Sure," Hermione walked into the fireplace. With the right words and some floo powder, she disappeared in green flames. She landed in Flourish and Blotts, exactly where she wanted. Draco joined her soon after.

"Okay, where exactly do you want to go?" Draco asked.

"Hm, brooms and Quidditch stuff would be good," Hermione responded.

"Shopping for Wea- Ron and Harry?" He asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am," Hermione said. She and Draco headed out of Flourish and Botts together, searching for a broom shop.

"Hey, there's a new one over there," Draco pointed out.

"New what?" Hermione asked.

"Broom shop. 'The Dodgy Bludger: Quidditch apparel and more!' Its grand opening is today. You can get discounts and stuff," He said. "Want to try it?" He finished.

"Okay," Hermione said. The two headed for the crowded shop. They spent more time in the Quidditch shop than they had expected, but they benefited from it every second. Hermione somehow found the money to buy new brooms for both Harry and Ron (the latest models of course), a huge spell book for Ginny (who had recently developed a liking for hexing people- for justified reasons), and the newest romance novel for Mrs. Weasley. She already had her gift for Mr. Weasley and Fred and George got theirs early (supplies for a prank they came up with).

Hermione and Draco walked around in the thin layer of snow, window shopping and sipping on 'chilled caramel potions'. (A/N- a new drink I made up which is the equivalent to an ice caramel latte.)

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Hermione asked.

"Sure," Draco replied.

"What is the whole pureblood thing about?" She looked at Draco. He sighed, knowing that she really meant the pureblood rule and knowing that it would be a rather long conversation--too long for his tastes.

"Well…" He said reluctantly. "We see ourselves superior to others, as you already know," He said. "Because we take such pride in our heritage, we are forbidden to even _look_ at a muggleborn in a kind or gentle way." He took a breath. "We are not permitted to befriend a muggleborn, let alone marry one. That being said, we have a rule. The rule is not written but is taught throughout the ages. Every hard core pureblood engraves that rule in their child's brain." He looked at Hermione. "Back in earlier times, when a pureblood fell in love with a muggleborn, the parents went as far as to order the extermination of said muggleborn."

Hermione looked at him in horror. Was his father one to go that far? Was that why Lisa died?

As if reading her mind, Draco said, "There are almost no families that still practice that part of the rule, so you're safe." His reassurance made her feel better instantly. "Today, when a hard core pureblood falls in love with a muggleborn, they are disowned by the family and are banished. That is, if the pureblood pursues his or her muggleborn love," Draco said.

"And if they don't?" Hermione asked.

"They live a miserable life and become just like their miserable father," Draco almost spat. "…thus, completing the cycle completely." The disgust in his voice disguised his extreme fear of such a fate.

"How come it wasn't engraved into your brain?" Hermione asked.

"Huh?" Draco said.

"You said that they engrave the rule into their child's brain," She reminded him.

"Oh…It was in the beginning. I believed every piece of my father fed me. I hated you as a result of that," Draco said. He and Hermione sat down on a bench outside Madame Malkin's. "The funny thing is that, I thought he was right. I thought him infallible. I looked up to him and strove to please him in any way I could. Nothing worked. No matter how well I did something, I never did it well enough." He finished off his drink and threw it in a nearby trash can. "When I met Lisa, my whole outlook on everything changed. I realized how completely wrong my dad was. I didn't mind muggles and muggle things. Lisa introduced many of the muggle things I have come to enjoy," He said.

Hermione grinned. "Like the laptop you have. I was kind of surprised that you had one."

"Well, now you know why," He said, a smile gracing his face.

"Wait, if you didn't view muggleborns as mudbloods anymore, than why did you still torture me?" Hermione asked.

"Ah, that is where I do not understand myself," Draco said. "Despite the increased beatings and my new outlook, I still wanted to please my father. I wanted him to be proud of me for something. Since I didn't dare torture Lisa with mudblood comments, you were the only other muggleborn I knew." Draco looked at Hermione. "I figured that our hate-hate relationship didn't need to suffer just because I was dating your friend--being cruel to you and your friends made me feel better. I felt like I wasn't completely gone, like I hadn't completely changed."

"Wow, you were messed up," Hermione said jokingly.

"Thanks," Draco replied sarcastically. He smiled at her. "But now I am probably completely different."

"Toward me, you definitely are," Hermione said, smiling.

"Now is my turn to ask you something," He said.

"Shoot," She replied, still sipping on her drink.

"What was with the whole 'not so heartless sick bastard' thing?" He asked a smile clear in his voice. Hermione couldn't hold in her laugh.

"That…well, that is Julie's view of you," She said, still smiling. "When you and I were on the hating basis, I told her everything that I didn't like about you. She came up with a name for you. It was, 'the heartless sick bastard'. Recently, I told her about the changes between our relationships towards each other. Her new name for you is 'the not so heartless sick bastard', which she enjoys saying," Hermione finished.

"Wow, you were right, she is odd," Draco replied. Hermione laughed again.

"Yeah, she's one of a kind," She admitted.

"So her and Tom…" Draco said.

"Her fiancé, he proposed the night Ariadne was born," Hermione said. "He's a wizard- -I'm sure you've caught on to that." She said in a rush. Draco nodded. "He told her a couple days afterwards. He said that you can't live in a relationship hiding something like that," She added.

Draco nodded again. "That's for sure," He mumbled.

The two walked around a bit more before taking a break and eating at the Leaky Cauldron. They spent a few hours eating and headed home.

"You want to walk back to my house or what?" Draco asked.

"That'd be fun!" Hermione said. "How far away are we from your house?"

"A long way, we could apparate half the way," He said. "You know what, there's a place that leads to my house, it's kind of spectacular in the snow," He added. The smile that graced Hermione's lips almost knocked him of his feet. "I'll send the bags to my house." With a wave of his wand the bags were gone.

"Shall we?" Hermione said, smiling. She held out her arm and he took it grinning.

They apparated into a clearing with tall trees that were covered in soft sheets of snow. The ground beneath them crunched and they left white imprints everywhere. Ice crystals hung from branches and reflected the sunlight. It was a complete Winter Wonderland. Hermione stared at the beautiful scenery around her and Draco.

"Isn't it kind of cool?" Draco asked.

"Wow," Hermione said.

"I guess that's a yes," He laughed. "Come on." He urged her forward, his fingers lacing with hers, sending the familiar tingle up his arm. They walked through the woods, admiring the stunning scenery.

Finally, they came to a bridge. The bridge was covered in frost and snow. Ice crystals hung from below it. Under the bridge was a huge glass lake. They stood in the middle of the bridge and gazed into the sky.

"Amazing, huh?" Draco asked. Hermione could only nod. "On our way back to your house, we can watch the sunset--it's an astounding view from here," He added.

She turned to him, eyes sparkling with emotion. "This is so…it's perfect," She said. He looked at her and smiled. His free hand brushed against her cheek. He leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, welcoming the kiss.

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Draco and Hermione got back to the snow covered mansion before four. They hid in Draco's room as soon as they were there. He had insisted that it was necessary to avoid any contact with his family members--they were all pureblood raving lunatics.

Draco had given her the wrapped gift he had gotten her for Christmas. She was made to promise not to open it or even peek. They moved swiftly down the stairs. All was going well until they reached the bottom of the stairs.

When Draco heard the voices in the kitchen, he realized how wrong he was to worry about his mother seeing them. The icy voice he heard forced him to remember the other, more problematic, parent he was cursed with. He went into momentary shock. 'He's not supposed to be here. He was supposed to be out a day and not come back until eight.' Draco thought frantically.

Hermione saw the frustrated and panicked look on Draco's face. _Uh-oh, something's wrong. _ She thought and listened to the voices in the kitchen and immediately picked up on the problem. Lucius Malfoy was home.

Suddenly, there were footsteps coming toward them. Narcissa's head came into view as she walked out of the kitchen with a look of shear annoyance on her face. When she spotted the two, her look softened.

"Oh dear, I thought you were already gone," Narcissa said. Draco closed his eyes for a minute.

"Mother, please tell me that there is no one in the kitchen," He said through gritted teeth.

"As much as I'd love to…I can't," She said, looking at him sympathetically.

"He wasn't supposed to be home until eight," Draco hissed. His mother gave him a stern look.

"Well, he came home early." She looked at Hermione and smiled. "You must be Hermione," Narcissa Malfoy said. She looked a little unsure of what else to say.

"Yes," Hermione said with a nod. She had to get out of there. She wouldn't know what to do if she was face to face with the evil man that beat his perfect son. She would probably say something she would regret.

"I'm Narcissa…I'm sorry we couldn't meet on a much better occasion," Mrs. Malfoy said. She turned to her son. "Draco, you should probably take her home," She added. She seemed to be reading Hermione's thoughts.

Draco nodded and snuck past the kitchen door with Hermione in tow.

**Oh, that was close…or was it? - haha. Sorry for the wait! I'm so happy, my editor is back! I am currently jumping up and down with joyness. As you all know, I was completely lost without her…and now I'm found!-heehee. Right, well you all need to REVIEW! And thanks to all of my lovely reviewers! I love you all!**


	22. PLEASE READ

**Author's Note **

Hey, guys! My laptop has all of my story on it and well it's not working right so my computer genius uncle is fixing it. THis means that I won't be able to update until my computer is back, which i hope will be soon. I apologize so much and hope that you don't kill me for making you wait so long.


	23. Chapter 21

**Hey! Sorry for the wait, I went to see Harry Potter and then I had to work all weekend. And then my laptop failed but it's better now. Okay, I must say that the fifth Harry Potter movie was slightly disappointing. They cut out way too much! I would've been willing to sit there for five hours if they needed that long to keep everything in there. I'm sure everyone else would do the same! I mean, we barely got to see Malfoy and Fred and George's hair was so sad--they were so hot with long hair. And Sirius's death is lame but they could've made it more…I don't know… heartrending. In the movie it was just sad. I cried for hours when I read that part of the book but I only cried a little during the movie. I could go on and on about this--I went into a full rant right after I saw it, then me and my friends went for ice cream--but I doubt you all want to hear all of this. (sigh) Alright, on with the story!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 21- Christmas Surprises **

"Draco," The icy voice was too familiar to go unrecognized. Draco turned on his heel right before he and Hermione were at the door. His father loomed over him like a bad omen.

"Yes, father?" He said coldly. Lucius looked past his son at the unwelcome visitor. His eyebrow rose then he stared at his son. No more words were exchanged. Father and son just glared at each other, sending one another angry thoughts.

Narcissa watched the exchange, terrified. She had no doubt that her son would pick some sort of fight with his father. Today she might be able to stop it but she had the distinct feeling that an all out battle was approaching rather quickly.

Narcissa saw her husband glance at Draco's hand, which was still tangled with Hermione's. She watched the anger creep up into his eyes. If they didn't get the poor girl out soon, there would be a blood fest. Narcissa stepped forward and opened her mouth to say something but she was too late.

"GET THAT FILTHY MUDBLOOD OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Lucius yelled. Narcissa winced at the force of his voice. She looked at her son and pleaded with him silently.

Draco was too angry to heed his mother's silent pleas. "Don't you dare use that word in front of me!" He said angrily. His father had already crossed the line and they hadn't been standing there for more than a minute.

"Sweetheart, why don't we go finish our tea in the kitchen," Narcissa tried, seeing the anger between the two men.

Lucius stared at his wife with an incredulous look. "What the HELL is wrong with you?!" He demanded.

"What the HELL is wrong with you?" Draco sneered. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with her."

Lucius Malfoy stared at his son, taken aback by his hostile response. "Draco, don't you dare talk to me in that way," He said.

Draco almost growled in response. "I'll talk to you any way I feel necessary. And hostility seems appropriate, seeing as you can't find a nicer name to call my friend."

Draco's father glared at him. "I will not stand for this," He said, anger boiling. "You will get that mudblood out of my house immediately!" Lucius yelled.

Gwyn's mother heard the yelling and walked in. "What in the bloody hell are you all on abou…" She stopped short and stared at the two angry males. "Oh," She said. Narcissa looked at her, pleadingly. Annabelle bit her lip.

Bellatrix stood next to her, looking confused. "What's going on?" She asked. Both Lucius and Draco looked at her. Draco smiled slightly.

"Hello, Aunt Bella. When'd you get here?" He asked, trying to calm himself.

"Just this afternoon actually," Bella said. Bellatrix saw the look Narcissa had. "Lucius would you like to join us for tea?" Bella asked.

"Yes, that'd be quite interesting! We need to speak with you about something," Annabelle added. Lucius stared at the two women, suspicious. "We're thinking about a huge Christmas celebration," Annabelle added.

"Yes, with the whole family over…kind of like a reunion!" Bella put in.

Lucius stared at them. "But we just had a Christmas party," He said, clearly exasperated.

"Yes, but the whole family wasn't there. This will be strictly family and it will be on Christmas day," Bellatrix said.

"We'll have games and food all day long!" Annabelle added. They were pulling him in quite successfully.

"But we need to discuss things with you since this is your house," Bella said.

"Yes, that's why we should have tea," Annabelle said.

Lucius Malfoy sighed. "Fine," He said, forgetting about his son for the moment and walking toward the two women.

Bella and Annabelle winked at Draco and he smiled a little more. He turned back toward the door and led Hermione out.

"I hate him so much!" He exclaimed. "I can't wait until I'm out of Hogwarts, then I'll move in a dorm with someone."

Hermione stared at him. "I didn't know your dad was that bad," She said.

"Oh he's worse, a whole lot worse," Draco said. "But, if I have anything to do with it, you won't see him at his worse," He added. She smiled up at him and he couldn't help but to smile back. "Actually, you won't see him at all, if I have anything to do about it," He said, leaning his forehead against hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she held onto his neck.

"Was he always like that?" Hermione asked.

"Nope, he used to be the 'perfect father', supposedly," Draco said. Hermione felt his warm breath on her face. It smelled like French vanilla ice cream, with a mix of caramel and coffee. She leaned in further and kissed him, not wanting to let go. "Thanks, I need that," Draco said when they pulled away. Hermione grinned. "The sun is still up, we could still catch the sunset if you want," He added.

"Of course," She said and they set off.

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Draco Malfoy woke with a start. Gwyn was hovering over him like an annoying mosquito, hungry for blood. He stared at her for a good long minute. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin was paler than her usual complexion. Her long hair hung around her face, making her look like something from a horror movie.

"I'm hungry," She stated after a moment.

Draco felt his eyes widen. "And you're telling me this…why?"

"Can you come with me?" She asked. Her blue eyes were a dark navy, conveying that she was indeed hungry.

Draco groaned but then sighed and sat up, causing her to back away a bit. "Fine, but if you try to eat me…" He trailed off, giving her a stern look. Gwyn grinned and nodded her understanding. Draco climbed out of his bed and threw on some clothes.

"Thank you so much," Gwyn whispered. She pushed her hair out of her face with her hands. "I don't feel like being out there all by my lonesome," She added.

Her cousin followed her out to the backyard and into the woods. He said not a word--due to his lack of consciousness. "Right, sure," Draco mumbled as he stumbled along behind her. They passed the bridge that Draco and Hermione watched the sunset from. They walked deeper and deeper into the woods before Gwyn stopped.

Draco sat down and leaned against a tree. He had no intention of being awake while his cousin hunted. Sure, a normal person would be worried about being unconscious in the presence of a vampire but he wasn't. If anything, he was safe with Gwyn. She had no interest in sucking him dry. Sometimes she hunted people but not usually, only during the war. She and the rest of the vampires were weapons in a sense. They fed and at the same time, they helped wipe out half of Voldemort's worthless followers.

"I won't go far," Gwyn said. "I'll just eat enough to fill me and no more," She added.

"By all means, go as far as you wish," Draco told her. " I don't really need to hear your prey cry in agony," He added.

Gwyn laughed and was off, leaving Draco drifting into a fitful sleep. Memories flooded his brain during those minutes of darkness, becoming horrifying nightmares. The memories of last Christmas break were the worst. He remembered the beatings he took and the pain he felt. His mind lingered on the memory of how the most important thing to him was torn away from him, never to return again. The worst part of this was that he couldn't wake himself up. He had to endure the pain again and again and again. His depression wrecked havoc over him and he couldn't do a thing about it.

_Gwyn_

Gwyn sprawled across the river bank, full. She licked the last of the blood from her lips. She was relatively satisfied with her midnight feast. Though it wasn't nearly enough to give her complete satisfaction, she would have to deal it with until she could sneak to her real home and feast there.

Gwyn sat up, looking around. She could sense her cousin's distress. It was only a matter of time before it came back. She knew it would and now she was prepared for the worse. She slowly approached Draco. He was asleep and dreaming of who knows what. But it must have been terrible, seeing as he was thrashing about madly. Gwyn knelt next to him and stared.

She looked at him for quite a while before rousing him from his fitful sleep…or at least, temping to rouse him from his sleep.

"Draco?" Gwyn asked. He didn't seem to hear her so she nudged him. "Come on, get up!" She said. "I'm done and we need to get back to your house."

Draco woke, panting and drenched in sweat. He stared at his cousin wide-eyed and she knew that his depression was definitely back. After he had escaped it for so long, it had caught up with him.

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The days that passed until Christmas were a painful blur for Draco. He did as he was told only out of misery. His mother became worried that he was ill and his father--though he dared not show it--was more worried than anyone else. He was worried that he had forced his son into the dead-like state he was in. Gwyn did not worry, only wondered. She wondered what had pushed him back into depression and she wondered how he could be rid of it forever.

When Christmas came, everyone's spirits were almost demolished. The depression had spread, unintentionally of course. Gwyn woke Draco, feigning excitement.

"Draco, if you don't get your fat arse up now!" She exclaimed. She took his groan as a sign that he needed help. She then proceeded to yank all his blankets off and tip the mattress over. He fell to the floor with a muffled thud.

"Ow! What in the… BLOODY HELL! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Draco screeched. He stood up and rubbed his bottom.

Gwyn grinned genuinely. "It's Christmas!" she exclaimed. Draco couldn't hide the small smile that crossed his lips. "You have to get up so we can open presents."

"Okay, I'm up," he said.

"Good." Gwyn went through Draco's closet.

"What are you doing now?" he asked.

"Looking for the perfect present that will raise your spirits," Gwyn answered from inside his large closet.

"But all my gifs are downstairs by the tree." Draco pushed his mattress back into place and sat down on it.

"Not all of them." Gwyn had finally come out of the closet with the large wrapped box that Hermione had given him. He had forgotten about the present in his depression and just seeing it made him a little less heavyhearted. "Open it," Gwyn demanded as she sat down next to him.

She handed the present to Draco and he couldn't hided his excitement. As his fingers touched the carefully wrapped gift he felt a continuous warmth in his heart. Hermione had taken the time to perfect the wrapping on the gift and Draco couldn't help but love her for perfection. He took his time not to rip the wrapping paper because he relished anything touched by her delicate fingers. He could still smell her vanilla scent on the wrapping paper. Gwyn smiled as she watched him cautiously open the gift.

When the wrapping paper was discarded from the box and the top was thrown off, Draco sucked in a breath. There, folded perfectly inside the box sat the suede jacket he and Gwyn were looking at in the mall. He pulled it out of the box and looked at it with awe flashed across his face. It was the dark tan color that the store called "camel". It resembled a sports jacket only longer and it had an adjustable belt. (A/N- I couldn't find any pictures of what I was looking for. Just think of the jacket Mark--the only single guy in the show--was wearing in Rent. If you haven't seen the movie, go on my profile; I'll have a link for you.)

Gwyn watched as his face lit up and she knew that the present did exactly what she had imagined it would. Now, the Christmas spirit that engulfed Draco would engulf the rest of the family. "Happy Christmas Draco," she said.

He smiled, really smiled, for the first time since he last saw Hermione. "Happy Christmas Gwyn!" he exclaimed, hugging her.

The rest of the day was filled with happiness instead of the usual depression. Bella and Annabelle had planned the family reunion perfectly and everyone was happy to see each other.

Gwyn and Draco had spent most of the day welcoming relatives. They were told to put on their best clothes and brush their hair neatly. They were forced to speak to the not so sociable guests and more than once, some old person commented on how Draco should cut his 'unruly' hair.

"If you're not sociable, then why the hell would you leave the damn hole you came out of?" Draco growled in Gwyn's ear. She couldn't help but to laugh.

"Didn't you know? They came out just to annoy you," Gwyn whispered. He shot her a warning look but she laughed it away, making him laugh as well.

"And if someone says anything else about my hair, I'll have some serious beating up to do," Draco said. "I mean there's nothing wrong with my hair is there?"

Gwyn stared at him. "Gosh, Draco! You are so ill-informed. You didn't know that if your hair is to be long, it should hit the floor; and if it is to be short, you must be bald? There is no in between!" she joked. This sent the both of them into quiet laughter. They laughed so hard that they couldn't breathe. And when Draco started making wheezing noises, one of their great-aunts thumped him hard on the back.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" she yelled unnecessarily. Draco nodded, trying to hold his laughter. "YOU YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO STOP CHEWING SO FAST! THE FOOD'S ONLY GOING ONE WAY!" She stalked off grumpily.

Draco and Gwyn burst into more laughter. "That old bat can't even hear herself speak!" Draco panted.

"I don't think she could even see where you were. She hit the wall a couple times before she found your back." They laughed harder.

"Oh Merlin, we have too much fun with this," Draco said when he finally calmed down. He checked the clock. "Almost time."

Gwyn frowned. "Almost time for what?" she asked.

"I'm leaving, so could you cover for me? Say I'm not feeling well or something," Draco answered.

"Oh-kay, why am I doing this?" Gwyn asked, though she already knew.

"I'll tell you about it in the morning," Draco said as he sprinted into the kitchen.

He found his mother in deep conversation with some relative he didn't know he had. He opened a drawer and found a piece of paper and pen. He wrote a small note saying that he was feeling a bit indisposed so he was going to lie down and that he would rather not be bothered. He slid the note into his mother's hand. She glanced at him and nodded without looking at the note.

Draco dashed up to his room and locked the door. He slid on his new jacket, which he was already in love with, and slid out the window and onto a tree. The branch that he climbed on was close enough to his window for him to close it behind himself. He hung from the branch and dropped to the ground. The only one by the window that he dropped in front of was Gwyn. She grinned at him and mouthed 'Good Luck'. Daco threw a smile at his cousin before disapparating.

Draco landed in a woods a couple blocks from his destination. He walked the rest of the way and climbed the tree outside her window, the light was still on. He tapped the window and waited for her to realize he was there. After a few moments, she lifted her head from the book she was immersed in. A smile that almost knocked him off the tree graced her face and she walked toward the window.

Hermione opened her window and attempted to suppress her grin. "How come you never give any warning as to when you're coming…"

She stopped as her lips met his. She could feel his remarkable smile against her lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her waist. Her feet lifted from the floor as he hugged her close. They were both smiling when their lips parted.

"You never give any warning as to when you're going to do that either," she said, smiling.

"Sorry. Would you like me to yell 'KISS' whenever I feel one coming?" He asked still holding her. "KISS!" he yelled and leaned down to kiss her. When he pulled away she was laughing. He did it a couple more times, making her laugh harder.

"No, you don't have to," Hermione assured. "I was just messing with you. But by all means, call me before you show up at my window!" she added, grinning even wider. "And why do you always show up around midnight?"

"It's tradition now," he replied simply. "Well, I came to thank you personally for the gift."

Hermione backed up and looked at him. "Looks good on you," she said. "Then again, everything looks good on you."

"Aw that's sweet," he joked. "But one question, How did you…"

"Oh, that's for me to know and for you to never find out," she said. "Hold on." She dashed to the door and locked it, using spells to enforce security. "My parents are downstairs, hopefully they didn't hear all the racket you were making." She looked at him sternly but couldn't hold it long. She cracked a smile. "And I want to thank you for my present. I absolutely love these stories." She held up the book she was reading when he saw her through the window. It was book full of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. "I loved the movie as well."

"That's good," he said. "So how's your Christmas been?"

"Wonderful, actually! I got to see Harry, Ron and them," Hermione said excitedly. Draco smiled despite the fact that he didn't really care for Harry or Ron. "What about you?"

"Well, it's been interesting," Draco began. "I got yelled at by an old lady for choking and I've had the wonderful chance to baby-sit some of my more annoying younger cousins but all in all it's been good, especially since I'm here and not there."

Hermione smiled at him. "Happy Christmas Draco!" She threw her arms around him.

"Happy Christmas!" he said. "KISS!" She grinned and kissed him back.

**Yay! I've finally updated! I know you all probably hate me cus this isn't as good as usual and you had to wait this long for something so poorly done (and short), but I promise the next chapter will be great…or better at least. Oh and I know that this is now a really irrelevant story compared to the seventh book but who cares this is FANFICTION. I just feel bad cause I know what really happens and this is way off but I like it this way better. (mostly cause my favorite characters aren't dead…well except for Snape, I love him but I needed him to go for the true effect -sniffle- he'll stay in all our hearts.) Right no more rambling. Love ya! REVIEW!!!!**


	24. Chapter 22

**As promised, I have **_**tried **_**to make this better than the last chapter. Don't kill me if it seems a little rushed; I needed to hurry along and get to the good stuff. And you should all know that the end of this story is looming above my head. I **_**do **_**intend on ending it…soon at that. But it might take me a bit cause I start school at the end of this month and well, let's just say that I'm a little less than that I haven't finished my summer reading and I still have a few problems left on my math packet. Yeah, so bare with me please (I'm trying to multitask--usually, I'm quite good at it). Now for the next chapter!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 22- Surprises and reactions**

Hermione hugged Julie tight. "I know I should probably be used to this but I'm not," Julie said as she wiped at a tear. "You're gone like half the year so the summer and Christmas are the only times I see you. That is so not enough time," she added. Hermione smiled lovingly at her best (muggle) friend.

"Don't worry, I always write to you and that's not going to change," Hermione assured her. "And plus, this is my last year," she added. Julie smiled. "As soon as school's over, I'll help you plan the wedding."

Julie's grin widened. "I can't wait 'til then!" she joked.

"For me to come back or for the wedding?" Hermione asked, smiling.

"Both!" Julie said with a laugh.

She stole a glance at Hermione's parents. They were all in Hermione's backyard; Julie wanted to hang out before she had to leave. Julie's parents were in deep conversation with Hermione's, Ariadne was with Tom and she and Hermione were sitting in the grass talking.

Julie smiled, slyly. "And if you and the not so heartless depressed bastard get any more intimate, you have to tell me…so I can start planning your wedding," She said.

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Right," she said, letting out a small laugh. She shrugged the comment off as if it were a joke, which it was. Yet, the word 'wedding' ran through her head like a little kid hyped up on chocolate.

"What time do you leave?" Julie asked.

"Actually, in a few minutes," Hermione replied. Julie pouted. "You want to come see me off?" she asked. The smile that graced her friend's face was brighter than anything Hermione had ever seen. Julie had never seen her off before because she didn't know about the Wizarding world then. Now that she was going to marry a wizard, Hermione figured she could come.

"Could I?" Julie asked.

"Up until I have to go to the platform," Hermione said. "Come on." She stood up and helped Julie up. They walked over to their parents.

"You ready, sweetheart?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"Yes. Could Julie come with us?" Hermione looked at her parents with a pleading look--a very effective look. They cracked without much effort.

"Sure," Mr. Granger said. He smiled but gave Hermione the 'be careful' look. She nodded and smiled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Carson, is she allowed to?" Hermione asked.

"I don't see why not," Julie's mother said with a smile. Then she looked at Hermione's parents. "Well, we should go and let you get her to school," she said as she and her husband got up to leave. Hermione's parents mimicked their movements. "Thank you for having us over," she added.

"Oh it's always a pleasure," Hermione's mother said as they all headed back in the house. Hermione's parents escorted Julie's parents out and Hermione and Julie ran upstairs to get the rest of Hermione's things.

Hermione's trunk was already in the trunk of her father's car so they didn't have much to get. Julie carried Crookshanks' cage and Hermione carried the books she couldn't fit in the trunk and her messenger bag. They squeezed the messenger bag in the trunk and got in the car.

The two girls sat in the back of the car with Crookshanks' cage to the far left of the backseat and Julie sitting in the middle seat. They talked animatedly the entire ride to King's Cross. They were still giggling from a joke when the car parked.

"Alright ladies, let's get the show on the road," Mr. Granger said. They all climbed out of the car. Frank Granger took the trunk out of the trunk of the car. He handed Hermione her bag and insisted on carrying the larger bit of luggage. Almost as soon as they walked in, Hermione was hailed.

Ron came rushing toward her. He saw the books in her arms. "Bloody hell! More books?" he exclaimed. "You are the only person I know who can acquire so many books in such a short time."

"Hey Ron," Hermione said. "Where are Harry and Ginny? Didn't they go home with you for break?"

"Yes, they're still getting stuff out of the car," Ron said. "So how was your Christmas?"

"Extremely pleasant," Hermione said, smiling widely. "Well, Ron you know my parents," she added. He seemed to just remember that she was with other people. He smiled and greeted her parents who returned the greeting. "And this is my friend Julie. Julie, that's Ron."

Ron looked at Julie and smiled. "Hey," he said.

"Hello," Julie said, returning his smile.

"Ah, here they are," Ron said. Hermione turned to see Harry, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley rushing towards them.

"Hermione!" Ginny squealed as soon as she was in earshot. She dropped her stuff and hugged Hermione, almost knocking her over. "How was your Christmas?" Ginny asked when she let go of her friend.

"Excellent!" Hermione replied. "Hey Harry," she added.

"Hey," Harry said, beaming.

"You look positively ecstatic," she commented.

"That's because I am!" Harry replied.

"I'm guessing that your Christmas was more than happy," She said. He smiled even more. "Hello Mrs. Weasley!" Hermione added.

"Hello dear! How was your summer?" Mrs. Weasley said, hugging Hermione.

"Wonderful! And yours?" Hermione replied.

"Beyond happy!" Ron's mother replied. She then engaged in a conversation with Hermione's parents--something always expect with grown parents.

"Guys, this is my friend Julie," Hermione said. "Julie, that's Harry and Ginny…and you just met Ron a minute ago."

Julie grinned at them all. Ginny hugged her. "It's nice to finally meet you!" she exclaimed. "Mione talks about you a whole lot!"

"That's a good thing, right?" Julie asked with a laugh.

Ginny grinned. "Yes," she said, letting go.

"Guys, we might want to hurry along," Ron said. "The train leaves in a few minutes," he reminded.

"Alrighty," Ginny said. They all headed to the platform. When they reached the space between platform nine and ten, they stopped. Mrs. Weasley hugged each of them and told them goodbye. Hermione hugged her parents and they told her the usual 'be safe' and 'we love you'. She looked at Julie.

"I'm going to miss you as usual," Julie said, smiling.

"I'll keep you posted on everything important," Hermione assured. They hugged one last time and Hermione followed her other friends through the barrier to their platform.

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Hermione sat in her compartment with her friends. They were talking excitedly. They included her in the conversation but she was only just barely there. She was stuck in her thoughts. She kept mulling over what Julie had said. It was meant as a joke and Hermione knew that but she couldn't get the word out of her head. It kept nagging at her brain.

Marriage.

She had never really thought about it. Sure she always had the idea that she would someday marry the man of her dreams but she always thought of it as a far away thing. Now she was actually nearing an age where marriage was a possibility. Of course, she wasn't intending on marrying as soon as school was over. She wanted to do too much to decide on something so big.

Her other problem consisted of worries that Draco might not be the perfect person for her to marry. Yeah, she was head over heels in love with him but the depression made him unstable. So far, he had been okay during break--as far as she knew--yet that could change so quickly. She had no idea if she could deal with that on the daily basis. Now, he only changed after a few days or weeks but soon it could change to hours or minutes. One minute he'd be yelling 'kiss' and the next he could be calling her a mudblood. Yet her biggest problem was that she _wanted _to spend the rest of her life with Draco Malfoy.

_Oh my god! You're driving yourself crazy! Just stop thinking about it, occupy your time with other thoughts. You're too young to marry anyway! _She told herself.

_For once, I totally agree with you!_ Hermione's voice said. _You need to calm down, your brain will explode if you keep this up. _Hermione smiled a little. She was making more of a problem than it was worth. She took a deep breath to calm her thoughts.

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The following week was filled with prefect duties, Winter Ball planning, and homework. Hermione was delighted when all her duties kept her mind off her recent thoughts. She spent much of her time with Draco, considering that they had prefect duties together and they had to plan the Ball as well.

As the day of the Winter Ball approached, Hermione found herself turning down several hopeful guys. She often wondered if Draco had the same problem, which of course he did. He was not asked directly but girls hinted at the fact that they want him to ask them to join him. No one suspected that Draco and Hermione were going together so the all assumed that they didn't have dates yet.

Hermione and Draco walked from their prefect meeting together.

"This Ball is going to be quite interesting," Draco commented.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed. "Everyone talks about it non-stop. And some of the girls are fretting over who their going with."

"Yep, Blaise is having the same problem. He has no idea who to ask, he might just end up asking Pansy," Draco said. "That'll be a sight for sore eyes." He laughed a little.

"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked.

"Well, if you've remember the war, those two can't spend more than a minute without disagreeing about something or other," Draco informed. "The only person she argues with more than Blaise is your friend Weasley."

"I've noticed that," Hermione said, a smile forming on her lips.

"Are you think what I'm thinking?" Draco asked. Hermione grinned. "Judging by that look on your face…I think you are."

"I think they'd be a good couple," Hermione stated.

"You do?" Draco asked. "Weasley's got to be a pretty damn strong guy to be with Pansy. She can be slightly scary at times."

"I've noticed that," Hermione said. "But I think they would be cute together."

"That'd be a very interesting couple," Draco said.

"Yes it would," Hermione agreed. "Well, I'm off to he library. I need to start my report on House Elves."

"You're writing your History of Magic report on House elves?" Draco asked.

"Yes, I've always been interested in them," Hermione replied.

"You've got to be the weirdest girl I know," Draco said, shaking his head. Hermione smiled.

"Well, I'll see you later," She started off in the direction of the library.

Once in the safe confines of her most favorite place at Hogwarts, Hermione was surprised to see Harry and Ron. They were sitting at a table not too far from where she stood. She hurried over to them.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"We decided to start on our History of Magic report," Ron said rather sulkily.

"That's great, Ron!" Hermione said. "For once you're actually going to do the research yourself!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ron grumbled.

"He's only doing the report so he can take his mind off the fact that he hasn't got a date for the Ball," Harry informed with a chuckle.

"Oh, really?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, he doesn't have the guts…" Harry started.

"Harry! For God's sake!" Ron said.

"Shh," Hermione said. "This _is_ a library," she whispered.

"Right, sorry, " Ron said. "It's because I don't have guts…it's because I can't find anyone to ask."

Harry mouthed 'no it's not' and snickered silently. Hermione grinned at him.

"I mean there's no one who I'd like to ask who is still free," Ron said, secretly glancing at Hermione.

"I'm sure you'll find someone," Hermione said, looking through a bookshelf nearby.

"Hermione," Ron said hesitantly. Harry stared at his friend suspiciously. "You haven't been asked by anyone yet, have you?" Ron asked.

Hermione's breath caught. What was he asking her for? He didn't still like her did he? Panic ran through her. How would she tell Ron about her and Draco? "Well, actually, I've been asked by more guys than I would have wished to be asked by."

"Oh, have you said yes to any of them?" Ron asked.

Hermione bit her lip and looked at Harry. He gave her the 'don't look at me' look. "Um, well, you see Ron…" Hermione started. "Um, someone asked me before Christmas Break and I sort of said yes."

"Oh, really?" Ron said, slightly pouting. "Who?"

"Uh, well…" Hermione looked to Harry for help.

"Hey, Ron did you notice how Malfoy's been a bit nicer?" Harry asked changing the subject.

"Yeah, you know what? I have and I think it's really odd," Ron said.

"Yes I agree entirely," Harry added.

"Hmm, makes you think," Ron said. "Hermione, you never answered my question."

Harry almost slammed his head on the table. Why did Ron insist on not be brainless when they needed him to be?

Hermione closed her eyes. "Malfoy," she blurted. She opened one of her eyes a teensy bit. Ron stood stock still and stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

"Malfoy?" he echoed.

"Yes," Hermione barely whispered. She looked at Harry and he stared back at her. She hadn't told him but she knew that he knew. "Um, I have to go. I'll talk to you guys later. Bye," she said and dashed out as fast as she could. Ron's full reaction hadn't come yet and she knew that it'd be best not to be present for it. She hurried down a corridor and down the steps. She was headed for Hagrid's hut to talk to him.

_Draco _

"Yes, but what is it that I must do?" Draco Malfoy asked his cousin. He was pacing again, a sign that he was frustrated. Gwyn was sitting comfortably on the grass in front of a tree.

"How the hell should I know?" Gwyn asked.

"Because you know everything!" Draco said.

"You think too highly of me," she countered. "I have no clue as to what you have to do to get rid of your depression."

"Then what do I do? Live my life hating the girl I love one day and then making up for it the next? I highly doubt she'd put up with it," Draco said.

"I'm trying to figure this out so chill," Gwyn said. "You say you love her right?"

"Yes," Draco said.

"Does she know?" Gwyn asked. She shifted in her spot.

"Yes, I've already confessed my undying love for her," Draco said, annoyed.

"I don't understand, you were perfectly fine and then…" she stopped. "You changed when we were on the train to go home."

"So, what does that have to do with anything?" Draco asked.

"Oh my god! How did I not know?" Gwyn said. "You said that after your first kiss with Hermione, you had mistaken her for Lisa. Do you still stick with that theory?"

"Yeah, it was the only way to explain it," Draco said.

"Well, for you, being with her is like being with Lisa. That would explain why you're fine when you're with her. Yet Christmas will always be the worst time for you since that was when Lisa died." Gwyn stared off towards the lake. "So naturally, you went off to your depressed world during Christmas break. The other problem was your dad. He doesn't understand the problems that you are having nor does he know how terrible he makes you feel when he acts like he does about muggleborns."

"That's because he doesn't care," Draco growled.

"No, you idiot, it's not. He cares about you but he's too messed up to decide a way to show it," Gwyn said.

Draco raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You're saying that my father thinks that beating the hell out of me is a good way to show his love?"

"No. For God's sake Draco! Are you a complete imbecile?" Gwyn said. "You yourself said that your father was treated the same way he treats you when he was young. Do you have any idea of how hard it is to get over that?"

Draco nodded absently. He had never really thought about how his dad suffered same way he was suffering.

"He was brought up thinking that hitting someone is the only way to get what you want and vent frustration. He understands the pain but he doesn't know how to break the habit. Thinking about it makes him even more frustrated and you're not helping one bit. But you can't be blamed, you have your own problems to fix." Gwyn stared at her cousin. "I'm not giving your father excuses--trust me, I wouldn't excuse him 'cause I know how you feel--but I'm trying to help you understand his situation. I imagine someone will do the same for him and explain your situation."

"Why? Why are you telling me this?" Draco asked.

"Because if you understand your dad, you might be able to eliminate one of the triggers to your depression," Gwyn said.

"Wow." Draco looked at her and sat down next to her. "Did you think about this for your dad?"

"Not until just now," Gwyn said. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Well, at least you thought about it." They sat there for a few more minutes just thinking. Their thoughts were interrupted when Ron stood in front of them.

"Oh, hi Ron!" Gwyn said, wiping a stray tear.

"Hello Gwyn," Ron said. He looked at Draco and his fists clenched. "Malfoy," he sneered.

"Weasley," Draco said, slightly confused. Harry caught up with Ron and bent over to catch his breath.

"Harry?" Gwyn said. She was just as confused as Draco was.

"What'd you do?" Ron asked. He was still staring at Draco.

"What are you on about Weasley?" Draco asked.

"You must've brainwashed her or something," Ron said. "That'd be the only reason why she'd go to the Ball with _you_."

Draco's brow furrowed. "What is wrong with you?" He still had no idea what Ron was talking about.

"Hermione," Harry practically whispered. He looked at Draco.

"Oh. So what's the problem?" Draco asked.

"You did something to her!" Ron said.

"I beg your pardon!" Draco said standing up. "What could I have possibly done to her?"

"I don't know but I'll find out." Ron glared at him.

"I can tell you truthfully that I did nothing bad," Draco almost growled.

"Oh really? Then why does she suddenly not hate you anymore?" Ron asked.

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed--you being a blithering idiot and all--but she hasn't hated me since we got stuck in the same dorm together," Draco said.

"I am not and idiot!" Ron bellowed.

"Could've fooled me," Draco sneered. Gwyn and Harry both stared between the two, afraid they'd start a fight. "And why do you care? Aren't you content with snogging Pansy in dark hallways?" Draco asked.

Ron's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it.

"That's what I thought," Draco said and stormed off.

Gwyn stared at Ron. "You like Pansy?"

"No!" Ron said.

"Holy shit! That's going to be weird," she said. "I should go find out where he's going, bye." She ran off and caught up with Draco. "What was all of that about?"

"I don't know, ask Weasley." Draco grumbled something else and continued to walk.

**I know this isn't all that great, but please do bare with me. I'm so sorry that this took so long, I had to do a whol lot of school crap so yeah. And I had this amazing idea for a story I'm going to publish one day so I had to type it (I still have some left but I stopped to write this). I'm sorry if this isn't too much better than the last chapter. Please REVIEW anyways. **


	25. READD

**Author's Note **

Hey! I know I haven't updated in an eternity. I truly am sorry for that. And I'm sorry this isn't a chapter. I am working on the next chapter but I want it to be really good. Part of my problem is that I can't remember what i wanted to happen next. I had it all planned out and because of some terrfible book I was forced to read, I completely forgot what I wanted to do. So now, I have to come up with something different but equally as amazing as what I had before. It's taking me longer than I thought cosidering I just started school a couple weeks ago and I've already had like seven tests. Everythings hectic around my house because I'm too involved in my school--I'm in like eight clubs (Chorus, Chorale, drum lessons, voice lessions, Jazz Choir, forensics, and my drum teacher wants me to join orchestra). Well, I just wanted you all to know that the next chapter should be coming soon and that I haven't given up on this story (considering that this is a relatively sucessful story).


	26. Chapter 23

**Hey! I know, long wait. Like an eternity. And I didn't even leave you with a relatively good chapter either. My great apologizes!! You guys probably want to shoot me for how bad I've been doing lately. I have a relatively good excuse though, I swear. You see, my school is all about the whole catholic thing. I had to read this torturous book--100 questions about chastity, sexual purity and other crap like that. The worse part was that the guy answered all the questions with five pages of nonsense that made me want to carve my eyes out!! It was pure torture and it took me forever to read it. It was only 211 pages but it was hell--okay, maybe that's an exaggeration…but it was bad. Then my lovely friends had a mini birthday party for me!! We had a sleep over where we didn't sleep and we saw Stardust--GOD, the main character was cute and Robert D'Nero was hilarious!!!! Then I started school and you know what my teachers did? They bombarded me with homework, projects and tests. Then, I had a birthday party to go to, a school function, I slept over my sister's, I went to another birthday party and now I'm completely exhausted. **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 23- In Love With Ron Weasley**

Hermione slid into the library as quickly as she could; lugging Ginny behind her. The two girls hurried to a relatively empty part of the library.

"Hermione," Ginny whined. "What is it?" she asked. Then she glared at her friend. "And it better be good! I was just about to…"

"Of course it's good!!" Hermione interrupted. She looked around nervously. "I wouldn't snatch you from Harry for something trivial!" she all but shouted at her friend.

Ginny groaned and then sighed. "Alright, what?"

Hermione made another quick sweep around the area. "Here," she said, handing Ginny a small envelope.

Ginny took it in her hand gingerly. "What?" She looked closely at the handwriting. _Oh Shit! Could he still be after Hermione? Jeez, does this guy give up? _Ginny stole a glance at Hermione, who was worried beyond all reasoning. She sucked in a breath and opened the most recent love letter.

Hermione waited as Ginny scanned the letter. She waited--impatiently--for her friend to say something. Ginny looked up with wide eyes.

"He wants to meet you…again?" Ginny asked, confused and slightly peeved.

"Well, I kind of stood him up last time," Hermione said, feeling slightly guilty. "I was supposed to go during that Hogsmead trip, but Draco…" she trailed off feeling the full force of her guilt. The poor guy spent all his time sending secret love notes to her and she chose someone over him without even breaking the news to him. She felt horrible. The least she could do would be to let him know she wasn't interested.

"Don't feel bad," Ginny said. "I think the guy's a creep."

"Why do you say that? You don't even know who he is," Hermione said.

"Well, for one he must be stalking you--to know where you are all the time that's just…Ugh." She shivered with disgust.

Hermione couldn't deny it. Her secret admirer had to be a little creepy given that fact alone. Then there was the fact that he knew things about her that she had never told anyone. She had thought that when she stood him up last time, he would give up on her. Now, he wanted to meet her in Hogsmead the upcoming weekend and he probably had the idea that she'd go to the ball with him as well. After reading the dreadful letter, she was thrown into a frenzy and now she was dragging poor Ginny into the mess.

"What can we do?" Ginny asked, more to herself. She stared off with a vacant expression. "Draco's gonna be pissed if you go," she added. Hermione nodded in agreement. "He'll get all overprotective with jealousy and freak out--thinking that he's losing you." Ginny's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Hermione said. Then she realized something. She turned to Ginny. "How did you find out about me and Draco? I don't remember telling you."

Ginny looked at her friend. "Oh, well I assumed that since you kissed him and all you finally realized that you…" Ginny looked at Hermione's disbelieving expression and trailed off. "Alright, Gwyn told me and Harry." Hermione's mouth dropped. "But, you basically told me by confiding in me about all the kisses. Remember the Christmas decorations?" Ginny amended.

"When did Gwyn say it was official?" Hermione asked, a slight hostility to her voice.

"During Christmas break." Ginny tensed as she said it, ready for an onslaught. "She said he finally admitted to both you and himself that he loves you," she added.

"You were in contact with Gwyn?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing. Ginny nodded. "She can't keep her mouth shut can she?" Ginny shook her head in immediate agreement.

"Right, well we just have to figure out how to get out of this," Hermione said. She switched back the main topic with slight ease--which, to be honest, freaked Ginny out a tad bit more.

"The poor guy is still hanging on to you," Ginny said with no real sympathy in her voice. She was thinking hard. "Gwyn could help," she suggested. "She was the one who help get you two together." The statement slipped through Ginny's lips without her paying much attention. She didn't realize it until Hermione looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean by that exactly?" There was a slight edge to Hermione's voice.

"Well, Gwyn was annoyed with Draco for letting you go--you know a couple weeks before break--and she devised plans to get you together." Ginny forced herself to say no more. Hermione narrowed her eyes at her best friend but sighed when she realized she'd get nothing out of her.

"Come on," Hermione said, dragging Ginny out of the library and down to the dungeons. She reached the hidden Slytherin Common Room and entered, whispering the password. Hermione stormed in without paying attention to the curious Slytherins. She found Gwyn sprawled across the floor by the fire. She was intently reading a book but looked up when the two girls stood above her.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Gwyn exclaimed, jumping to her feet. A miraculous smile escorted her pleasant greeting. "To what do I owe such a pleasantry?"

"We need help," Hermione said.

"Say no more," Gwyn said, putting her hand up to stop Hermione. "I just need to find my handy assistant." She looked around and her eyes landed on a rather gangly first year. "You!" she practically barked. "Can you go find Pansy for me?" Her suddenly sweet tone must have scared the kid to death. He gave a small squeak and dashed up the stairs. A minute later, Pansy descended the stairs and met them.

"What do you need?" Pansy asked.

"I need you to go find Spencer and tell him to stall Draco… I need to postpone our little gathering," Gwyn said. She looked at Hermione and Ginny.

"For how long?" Pansy asked.

"As long as he can…which should be pretty easy."

"Righto," Pansy said and turned to find Spencer.

"Alright, what is it that you need?" Gwyn asked.

"Can we talk outside or something?" Ginny asked. Gwyn sighed but followed the two girls outside. She was led to the very edge of the lake and they stopped, apparently satisfied with the distance they gained from the school.

Gwyn looked at Hermione and Ginny expectantly. "What's this about?"

"That kid who's been writing to Hermione," Ginny said.

Gwyn's body visibly tensed. After all the work she had done to keep that kid from meddling, he still seemed to pop up. "What about him?" she asked stiffly. Finally, Draco had admitted to love--weakness as he saw it--and now some kid was trying to mess it all up.

"Well, he now wants to meet her," Ginny replied with obvious frustration.

Gwyn stared at Ginny and then at Hermione. Were they ever going to get a break? After everything, didn't they deserve a day--or two--of rest? Obviously, someone thought not.

_Pansy _

Pansy paced the Common Room. She hadn't told anyone about her recent thoughts. Frankly, she saw them as fevered thoughts--the kind people should be locked up for. More than once, her mind had drifted to Ron Weasley. Yeah, she knew it was odd. In fact, all of her friends would have her committed! If only they knew what was going on in her head. But they didn't know, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Pansy didn't have a problem with Draco falling for Hermione, even if she was a muggleborn--who received years of torture from Draco and herself. When Pansy first heard about Draco's love for Granger, she felt an angry jealousy come over her. She had spent the past seven years trying to get him to look at her the way he did Hermione. Those seven years were thwarted by a girl he barely noticed before. Of course, Pansy felt increasingly lousy as the time went by but now she didn't mind so much. After Lisa, Draco deserved to have someone like Hermione by his side. She would surely stick with him through anything and everything. If she didn't, then she'd be letting the Gryffindor inside her down.

Enough about Draco and his complicated love life. Pansy needed to focus on her own, rather conflicted love life. The question was, what was she going to do about her tormenting, revealing dreams of a certain Ronald Weasley? Every time she closed her eyes, he was there with her. She had spent the entire break playing and replaying their kiss over and over. She could still feel the warmth of his lips and the urgency that seemed to come over her. She needed him at that very moment. She couldn't and wouldn't let go. That had been the single most perfect moment of her life. Well, that and the first time Draco had kissed her. He was rather tipsy but it was still the best kiss she ever had…until Ron, that is.

Pansy shoved those thoughts out of her head. Her pacing became more frantic. What could she down? Was there anything to do about it? She needed obvious help.

"Working up the courage to ask Weasley out?" Pansy immediately matched the thickly accented voice with Spencer. She whirled around to see him smirking at her.

Like Gwyn, Spencer was completely neutral on the whole Gryffindor vs. Slytherin thing. He liked to hang out with whoever he wanted to and no one seemed to mind. He was so easygoing and fun to be around that there was absolutely no one who didn't like him. He was liked by Gryffindors and Slytherins alike. Knowing this, a thought struck Pansy. Maybe Spencer knew how Weasley felt towards her. She could…_NO! What am I thinking?!! Why would I ask? I don't care, I don't care! You don't care! _

"And why would I be doing that?" Pansy spat more harshly than she had intended. Spencer wasn't offended, he just arched one of his eyebrows.

"Because, he likes you and you like him. Get over the lifelong feud thing and just ask him out," Spencer said casually. He plopped down on one of the couches. Pansy tilted her head and stared at him. "Would you like me to advise him to write you love letters?" He was teasing her now. She hurled a pillow at his head and he ducked just in time.

"Oh, your bossy girlfriend asked if you could hold off Draco for a while. She said to just keep him busy for as long as you can." Pansy sat herself down next to Spencer.

"And did the bossy highness tell you why, by any chance?" Pansy snorted and he took that as a 'no'. "Well, I should go find the pain-in-my-arse Slytherin Prince," Spencer said, using his favorite nickname for Draco. He was about the only person who got away with it. "If it makes you feel better, he feels the same way about you." With that, he was gone.

Pansy sat on the couch alone, thinking. Was she developing a soft spot for the Weasel? Or did she just like the way he kissed? There was only one way to find out. Pansy jumped up and ran out of the room, bumping into a vaguely familiar face.

"Sorry," she said quickly. The boy that stood before her was rather tall and quite cute. He had dyed red hair that was cut short with the ends in the front turned up just a little. His skin was perfectly tanned and his lips almost made Pansy's mouth water. He was so close to perfect that it scared her. He was no Draco (nor was he a Harry, Spencer, Blaise or Ron for that matter) but he would be a good understudy. Why hadn't she seen him before? "Are you new?" she asked stupidly.

"I transferred late last year actually," he said. Even his voice was to die for.

"Oh my god! And I haven't seen you?" Pansy asked shocked.

"I guess not. I'm in almost all your classes," he said, making her feel worse. She must not have noticed him in all the crazy confusion in the past year. Between taking down Voldemort and bringing Draco and Hermione together, she was busier than a worker bee.

"I'm…"

"Jason!" She surprised herself by remembering the name. "Jason, right?"

"Yeah," Jason said with a grin. "Well I have to be off, so I'll see you around." He was gone before Pansy had the chance to say anything.

"Merlin! How do you miss a guy like that?!" She shook her heard in disbelief and kept on her way. With too much in her mind, Pansy bumped into none other than the very Weasley that clouded her thoughts. "Oh crap! My apologies!" she said without looking at who it was.

"Watch where you're going Parkinson!" Ron growled.

Pansy froze and her body became rigid. Then a swarm of feelings washed over her like a hurricane. She felt an extreme joy at his presence. Yet there was slight distress because of the tone he was sporting. _Jesus Christ! Why the hell do I care about his tone? He can be in a bad mood if he wishes to be! _"Why don't you, Weasley?!" she immediately responded.

"I don't have time for you right now, so move," Ron spat. The words stung as they reached Pansy's ears. She had never felt hurt by his displays of hatred towards her before. But now, her heart was stinging as if it were cut by the sharpest of blades.

"What the hell is up with you?" Pansy retorted.

"Why do you care?" Ron asked.

"I…" She thought for a moment. Why did she care? Ron noticed the pause and looked at her carefully, only slightly softening his glare. "I don't really know," Pansy said, defeated. "You just look…I don't know, pissed. I was just--" She thought for another minute. "Never mind," she said and started to walk off. You could only imagine how she felt as the joyful shivers ran up her arm when he grabbed her hand. She turned to look at him. His glare was completely gone. It was replaced by a look of shock, awe and slight confusion all rolled into one. Pansy arched her perfect eyebrows and Ron immediately let go.

"Uh…" he said unintelligibly. "Sorry," he added. He looked as if he wanted to say something more but couldn't bring himself to do it.

"What?" Pansy asked finally. Her conscience had won over her urge to leave before she did something they'd both regret. She couldn't possibly leave him looking all troubled; not without at least _trying _to get something out of him.

"Nothing," Ron mumbled.

"Merlin! Are all boys so annoyingly emo when there is something wrong?" she asked. "You make it look like you want someone to care but then when someone does care, you give them a halfhearted shrug and the crappy reply of: Uh, nothing." Ron just stared at her with wide eyes. "It's not just you, it's guys in general." Pansy blew out a large quantity of air and sat on the floor, not caring if she was in the middle of the hallway.

Ron slowly sank down next to her. "It's not nothing really," he said.

"I knew that already," Pansy said.

"Yeah," he laughed a bit. "you did. No doubt everyone else knows as well," he said.

"They probably do," she agreed. "So what is it?"

"It's kind of stupid really," Ron said, suddenly self-conscious. Pansy looked at him expectantly. "It's just, one of my best friends is with our biggest enemies."

"Hermione and Draco?" Pansy said, making it sound more like a statement than a question.

"Yeah, I don't even know why it bothers me so much. It's not like I still like her or anything…"

"But he's your enemy. It's like everything is changing way too fast for you to catch up," Pansy offered. Ron stared at her and a smile crawled across his lips.

"Yeah, that's exactly how I feel," he said.

"Don't worry, everyone feels that way at least once in their life. You just have to keep going on until you do catch up 'cause sooner or later you'll be the one moving faster than everyone else." Pansy stared at the window on the opposite wall as she spoke.

"So, how was your Christmas?" Ron asked absently.

"Christmas was like two weeks ago," Pansy said.

"I know but still," Ron said. "Right, my Christmas was the same as usual. It was crowded, stuffy, loud, busy and happy. All in all, an entertaining break from school. How 'bout you?"

Pansy thought for a while. Her Christmas was horrible. Until now, she had successfully forgotten about it. How could she explain it to him when she didn't even explain it to her closest friends? After a while, she just blurted it all out. "My father got sick and spent most of the holiday in the hospital; so instead of me staying with my father, I was stuck with my mother. My mum's boyfriend, decided to move in and try to convert me to whatever the hell he is. My cousin keeps hitting on me and my uncle was drunk the entire time. The only good thing was that my brother came home from Germany." Pansy thought again. "Oh and my mother is getting married to the jackass she calls a boyfriend since he got her pregnant. _And _she wants me to be her friggen' flower girl."

Ron stared at Pansy. "Wow," he said. "Is it that bad at your place?"

"Yeah, everything got hectic when I turned fifteen. After that I spent most of my Christmases at Draco's or Blaise's. But upon the odd occasion that I stayed home, that's how it would be…except at my dad's I had more fun."

"Jeez, I always thought that you guys had perfect lives," Ron said.

"No, we only lead people to believe that. It increases the godlike appearance," Pansy said lightly.

Ron grinned. "Nice," he said.

"Come on, we have to start duties soon," Pansy said. Ron was already standing and he held out his hand for her. "Thanks," she said, allowing him to help her up. She tried hard to ignore the joy she felt as his touch.

The two former enemies walked off to perform their prefect duties together. They talked as if they had never hated each other before. Both of them allowed themselves to enjoy the company of the other as much as they could, knowing that in the span of two days they would be back to subtly ignoring each other's existence. Of course they would no longer belittle one another but they would only just barely acknowledge the presence of the other. They were the best of friends but their relationship was slowly working through all the kinks.

Monday was dreary and Pansy wanted to ignore her duty to go to classes and sleep in but she couldn't. With a huge sigh, she slowly dragged herself out of bed. The ache in her neck told her she had developed a stiff neck from her sleeping position.

"Note to self: find a new way to sleep," she grumbled as she attempted to heal the annoying stiffness of her neck.

"Morning sleepyhead!" Gwyn sang as she left the bathroom. Pansy replied with a tired grunt. "Hello to you too!" Gwyn said, grinning.

Pansy slammed the bathroom door shut and climbed into the shower. Surprisingly, she was awake enough to remember to get out of her clothes first. Her shower took only minutes before one of the other girls in their dorm complained that they needed to use the bathroom as well. Pansy dragged herself out of the bathroom and into her dorm where she proceeded to dress for school. Something felt wrong. She had never been so tired or grumpy…or sick--now that she thought about it.

"Come on slowpoke," Gwyn said. Pansy looked at her and nodded. She got up, not bothering to tuck her blouse in.

"Alright, I'm coming," Pansy said. She grabbed her bag and followed Gwyn down to breakfast. With each step, a feeling of dread crept up her body. She tried to shake it off but it only increased.

"You okay?" Gwyn asked. She was watching Pansy's face become paler as they reached the Great Hall.

"Yeah," Pansy said.

Unconvinced, Gwyn watched her with caution. Obviously, there was something wrong but she chose not to push the matter. The two girls walked to their usual spots at the Slytherin table. Blaise was sitting with Spencer but Draco hadn't come down yet. Spencer grinned at Gwyn as she sat down next to him but Blaise looked positively grumpy. Pansy sat down across from Gwyn feeling a strange unease.

"What's with you?" Blaise griped. Even he--in his grumpy, sleepy state--had noticed her strange appearance.

Pansy just shook her head as Draco plopped down next to her.

"That Weasley is asking for it," he grumbled.

"What'd he do? Bug you about brainwashing Hermione again?" Gwyn asked.

"No, now he's pissed 'cause he thinks everyone else knew but him," Draco said.

"Well, technically, they did," Spencer said.

"And for good reason," Gwyn added. "He would have gone crazy and then he'd be giving us all these 'I'm watching you' stares."

Pansy didn't pay attention to the conversation. She was too preoccupied with the increasing dread as the owls came with the morning's mail. She stared daggers at the owl that settled itself in front of her. Mail from her mother could only be depressingly frightening. With shaky hands, Pansy managed to snatch the letter from the owl. It glared at her and flew off immediately.

"What's up?" Draco asked. Pansy looked at him. At the sight of her complexion and the dread in her eyes, his look of concern deepened. "Pansy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," she said, not even able to convince herself. Draco stared at her for a long minute. He heaved a sigh and turned to his food. Pansy looked down at the letter in her hand. She had no intention to read it then--not in front of her friends. She slipped it into her pocket and finished her breakfast.

"Potions is going to be a nuisance," Blaise groaned. They were all walking to the dungeons, headed for their potions class. "It's not the same without Snape giving us the breaks we didn't earn," he added.

"Yeah, I kind of miss him," Draco mumbled. Pansy knew he regretted what had happened during that last battle with Voldemort. He had let his anger take hold of him and ended up killing one of the greatest men who ever lived. Draco would forever kick himself because of his stupidity.

"Well, Blaise you're lucky that Slughorn favors you," Spencer said. "He has some sort of vendetta against me."

"Aw, no he doesn't," Gwyn said. Pansy just followed her friends into the Potions classroom, silently. She sat down next to Gwyn as she usually did and tried to resist the dreadful urge to read her mother's letter.

Two classes passed and Pansy went through each in a slight drone. She could barely resist reading the letter and yet she dreaded what it would say. By the time she reached her fourth class, she couldn't keep herself from reading it. She pulled the letter from her pocket--hands shaking like crazy--and began to read.

_Pansy, _

_I have some terrible news. No, it is not about the wedding. It will still be happening despite our last conversation. As you know, your father has been sick. Actually, he was not just sick, he was frightfully ill--in mind and in body. Well, just a few days after you went back to school, he took a huge downward plunge. he was getting better but last night he plunged again. I'm sorry to inform you that your father has passed away. We are planning the funeral and I will send you the information so that you can talk to Dumbledore (I assume he still teaches there) about taking a leave of absence. Everything is under control so there is no need to worry. Goodbye, see you soon. _

_Your Mother_

Pansy dropped the letter and watched it slowly fall to the floor. Her whole body was shaking now. She attempted to calm herself and it worked relatively well. For the rest of the day, she did what she was told, answered questions and droned on through the day. She had no idea how she'd get through her prefect duties. She dragged herself to the meeting and plopped down in a chair. Draco gave her a concerned glance but she shrugged him off. Pansy had no time to explain anything to him.

The meeting went by without Pansy giving it her full attention. She was way too preoccupied to think up more Winter Ball ideas. When they finished and everyone headed out for their patrol area, Pansy followed Ron. She was practically lifeless by the time they got to the fifth floor.

"What's up with you?" Ron finally asked. He was fed up with her silence.

Pansy almost jumped at the sound of his voice. It was shockingly soothing. "Um, nothing really," she said, half dazed.

Ron looked at her skeptically. "Now, who's emo?"

Pansy looked at him and clenched her fists, refusing to burst into tears. However, this attempt was futile. She felt the sobs erupt from her. She was like a volcano, erupting tears instead of lava. Her tears stained her cheeks and she was reduced to a hiccupping, sobbing buffoon. She felt completely humiliated. How could she start crying in front of Ron Weasley--of all the people? Her feelings changed abruptly when she felt him wrap his arms around her. She collapsed into his figure and cried harder. She clung to him, trying not to drown herself in her own tears. They stood there holding each other--with Ron doing most of the holding.

"He's gone," Pansy said through her uncontrollable crying. "He's…he's gone…he's… never…coming…b-back." She couldn't even form a complete sentence without hiccupping or sobbing in between.

Ron stood there holding her. He had no idea how it all happened but he was suddenly holding a frightened and fragile Pansy. He didn't know what to say to her or how to calm her down. Pansy knew she was basically dumping herself on him but she couldn't help it. She felt vulnerable and stupid. But ultimately, she felt safe in Ron's arms.

"You want to talk?" Ron asked gently when Pansy calmed down a bit. She pulled back from him a little.

Pansy breathed a little and sighed. "Today," her voice was shaky but she tried to go on. "I received a letter from my mother. Somehow she managed to sound like a coldhearted bitch in a letter baring regrettable news. My father died last--" she couldn't finish, instead she buried her face in his chest and began to cry again.

"I'm guessing you and your dad got along well," Ron commented.

Pansy lifted her head and stifled a sniffle. "Yeah, I even like my step mom...she's cool, unlike the home wrecker my mom's dating."

"Are you okay now?" Ron asked.

Pansy nodded and pulled farther away from Ron. They started their actual patrolling. "Thanks," Pansy said. "for putting up with that. You didn't have to."

"Yeah, I kind of did. I don't mind," Ron said. "So do you mind telling me about you mother and the home wrecker--though I thought they were only women."

Pansy half smiled. "They are only women, usually. I call him that as an insult."

"And an insult it is." Ron said.

"My mother is a perfectionist. She must perfect everything in her path, including her daughter. For the longest, I was too fat for her. Then I was too skinny. I was too tall, or too short. I wasn't allowed to eat for a while and then I wasn't allowed to eat certain things. My hair was too long, too short, too soft, too thick, too thin. I was always too much of something," Pansy said. "When she met her boyfriend, it only got worse. He helped critique me on everything. Soon after that, I wasn't allowed to hang out with certain people, or say certain things. It was rather oppressive."

"Jeez. What a life," Ron mused. "Yet again, I would have never thought your life was like that."

"Yeah, well we Slytherins don't like flaunting our troubles around." Pansy smiled sourly. "But my dad made my life happy. He was always uplifting and fun. We did almost everything together. Then he got married to Lydia. She was nice enough. She tried too hard sometimes but I liked that she did try. They had two kids: Cal and Hunter. Lydia already had a daughter from her old marriage and that was Holly. You guys met her last year, she's one of Gwyn's friends. So that part of my family wasn't so bad."

"Holly…the one with the blue hair?" Ron asked. Pansy nodded. "Don't they call her blue or something?"

"Her full name is Holland-Blue. Don't ask why," Pansy said. They stopped, having checked the entire fifth floor. "Thanks Ron." She looked at him for a long moment. "I feel really stupid for breaking down like that but thank you for making it better."

Ron stared at Pansy. Her brown eyes sparkled as she looked at him. "Y…you're welcome," Ron said.

Pansy looked at him for another minute, stood up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks again," she said. She backed up and hurried to the Slytherin Common room, leaving Ron feeling the spot on his face that her lips had touched.

Pansy was quite happy with herself. She had figured out what her real attraction to Ron was. It wasn't just the kiss, she was actually falling for Ron. Of all the people, she was in love with Ron Weasley.

**Sorry again!! This chapter (as you can see) was mainly to establish Pansy and Ron's position in all the craziness. I felt that I hadn't shown a lot of them and they need the spotlight for a bit. I love you all so pleaaasse review!!! (even if it's to yell at my extreme tardiness). Oh and you all should be stoked for Sweeney Todd, the best movie ever!! I can't wait 'til it's in theaters!! It has Johnny Depp in it and Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall. I'm so excited. I watched the preview over and over the other day! I tell you this in preparation for my next rant which will be mostly about this new movie!!! **


	27. Chapter 24

**Hey guys! I'm back again! Yay, I can't believe I'm actually done another chapter--and before Christmas nonetheless. I'm also stoked for Sweeney Todd! It has Johnny Depp in it and Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman (amazingness) and Timothy Spall!! I can't wait 'til it comes out! I saw the poster in the movie theater and went crazy. Then I watched the trailer over and over. You all should watch it! It's a requirement for all Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall or Helena Bonham Carter fans!!!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 24- Love's in the Air **

Draco stared at Pansy as she stood in front of him in his dorm doorway. She looked worst than she had all week. Ever since Monday, she had looked sick as anything.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Pansy said. Draco moved back to allow her past. She sat down on a couch by the fire and he joined her.

"What's up?" he asked. He wanted so bad to ask her what was bothering her but he knew either way, she'd tell him when she wanted to.

"I can't say nothing, that's for sure," she replied. Pansy leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees, and dropped her face into her hands.

"Does this have anything to do with the letter you got today?" Draco asked. He could feel the distress bouncing off her body and he wanted to be able to help. Pansy had helped him when he was in need and it only seemed right to help her as well.

"Everything. It has everything to do with the letter," Pansy said, barely lifting her head.

"What about the letter from Monday?" Draco asked. Pansy only nodded and he saw the tears in her eyes. He sat closer to her and laid an arm around her shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her tear streaked face in his chest.

Pansy had thought that all her crying had been over when she broke down in front of Ron but here she was, crying again. She had only gotten worse as the week went by and now she was breaking down again. Luckily, she picked a friend to break down in front of.

"Pansy what is it?" Draco asked softly. He held her like the great friend he was.

"Monday, I got a letter," Pansy started, not daring to leave the comfort of his arms. "It was from my mom." Draco nodded encouragingly. "I didn't tell you but, my dad got really sick over the Christmas Break. He was rushed to St. Mungo's and was there throughout Christmas. I had to stay with my mom--you can only imagine how terrible that was."

"Jeez, you could have stayed with me or Blaise!" Draco said. Pansy smiled.

"Thanks, I'll remember that next time," she said. "Anyway, the letter on Monday was to tell me that my…dad died." Pansy choked out the words with extreme difficulty. "And today, I got another letter about the funeral," she continued. "It's being held next Wednesday, which means I have to leave Tuesday morning." Pansy looked at Draco. His concern and sympathy sparkled in his eyes. "I was wondering…well, I can't do this alone. So would you possibly come with me?" She started tugging at a loose thread in her shirt. "I can only take one person with me. Dumbledore okayed it."

Draco stared at Pansy for a moment. "Sure, whatever you need." Pansy looked up and hugged him as relief washed over her.

"Thanks so much! You're the best," she said. She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "So, how's the Gryffindor/Slytherin relationship going?" It was her attempt to lighten the mood.

Draco thought for a minute and then grinned. "I don't know, you tell me," he said, obviously referring to Pansy and Ron.

Pansy stared at him incredulously. "How'd you--?"

"Hermione and I saw you two during the Christmas decorating," he said simply. Pansy's eyes widened.

She threw a pillow at him. "And you didn't even tell me?"

"Why would I?" Draco asked. "It's more fun to watch you slowly discover your love for each other."

Pansy snorted. "Oh so it's the same as with you and Granger," she said.

"So, do you like him?" Draco asked.

"Of course I like him! But it seems to be more…I don't know, it's all confusing to me." Pansy looked at him. "What about you? Have you come to terms with estranged feelings?"

"Somewhat. Gwyn thinks a trigger to my depression is my dad. I agree with that part but she thinks I need to understand my dad's motives and all that." Draco rolled his eyes. He clearly didn't want to take the time to find out what his dad's motives were.

"Maybe you should. It could help you if you ever have kids. If you know what's wrong with your dad and what makes him do what he does then maybe you can find out how to prevent yourself from being the same way," Pansy suggested. Draco looked at her in awe and shock. "I know that you think that you'll never be like him but there's a slight chance that you'll change and you should be prepared for it," she added.

"Wow, I never thought of it that way really," Draco admitted.

"Yeah. Well, I have to scat so… Thanks for everything," Pansy said. She stood up as Draco did and hugged him one last time before leaving.

Draco Malfoy stood in his Common Room pondering what Gwyn and Pansy had both suggested. It wouldn't hurt to look into it. _Just to be safe._ He walked up the stairs two at a time and headed for his bedroom.

_Hermione_

Hermione sped up the stairs, almost knocking over Ron as she did so. She swayed when she tried to stop abruptly.

"Sheesh Hermione! What's the rush?" Ron exclaimed, holding her by the shoulders to steady her.

Hermione flashed him a smile. "Nothing, really."

"You just decided to sprint up the stairs?" Ron asked quizzically.

"Yeah," she replied with a wide grin. "It's rather fun, you should try it."

Ron cracked a smile. "Right, 'Mione, I'll pass." Her smile widened. Ron thought for a moment. "Hey, um, Hermione?"

She looked at her friend with expectant eyes. "Yeah, Ron."

"Sorry, 'bout last week. I…"

"What do you mean Ron?" Now, Hermione was thoroughly confused. She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Well, when you told me and Harry--"

"Harry and me, Ron." Hermione corrected.

"Right, Harry and me. When you told Harry and me about going to the Ball with Malfoy, I kind of confronted him." He looked at Hermione cautiously, ready to be admonished.

Hermione only sighed. "It's okay Ron. To tell you the truth, I sort of expected that reaction…only I expected more so it's not that bad," she said. She smiled up at Ron.

"So you're not going to give me a lecture on how I'm being tactless and crude or anything are you?" he asked.

She laughed. "No, Ron, I'm not."

"Good," he said. Hermione looked at him and laughed harder. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing Ron, nothing at all," Hermione told him. She regained her composure and looked at him. "So…how's Pansy these days?"

Ron looked at her with narrowed eyes that almost distracted her from his blush…_almost_. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Hermione insisted. "Are you planning on asking her to the Ball?"

Ron blushed even more. "Wh-why would I do something like that?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe because you two seem to be getting a bit cozy," Hermione suggested. "What, with snogging during prefect duties." Ron stared at her in shock. He had no idea that anyone had seen him and Pansy that day. Hermione grinned slyly. "You know, as a prefect, you're supposed to set an example for the rest of the school. And well, they aren't supposed to be snogging each other in the halls so it kind of sends them mixed messages when a prefect is doing it." She turned her gleeful eyes on Ron. "Are you following me?"

Ron opened and closed his mouth several times. "H-how?" was all he could say.

Hermione ignored his question and took his expression as a yes. "I'm glad you understand," she said. "But, I think you should ask her to the Ball. She'd probably love to go. Just do it before she ends up going with Blaise or some other Slytherin!" Still smiling--due to her eminent joy in torturing Ron--Hermione skipped off; leaving Ron in a stupor.

Hermione was still grinning when she entered her and Draco's shared dorm. She half-skipped, half-ran up the stairs to her room. She had successfully convinced Ron to ask Pansy out. Sure, he hadn't said that he would, but if she knew Ron--and she did--she knew he would go back to the Gryffindor Common Room and ponder what she had said. This pondering would lead to a decision, which would most likely be the decision to heed Hermione's advice. Then, the decision would lead to him building up the courage to ask Pansy to the Ball. It was perfect! Absolutely perfect!

_I'm a genius!_ Hermione thought as she skipped across her room.

"Well aren't we in a good mood?" Draco's voice sent shivers down Hermione's spine and she felt herself smile.

"Yep!" she said, turning to face him. He looked to be in good graces.

"What's got you all full of happiness?" he asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Well, I just got Pansy a date for the Winter Ball," Hermione said. She looked very proud of herself, Draco noted.

He grinned slightly. "And who, may I ask, did you convince to take her?"

"Ron!" Hermione fell across her bed. "I feel so accomplished. Is this how Gwyn feels when she meddles in people's love lives?"

Draco laughed. "Probably."

"Oh Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed, sitting up.

"What? Did you realize how bad it is to meddle?" he asked looking hopeful.

"No," she whacked him with a pillow. "We have to go to Hogsmead tomorrow!" She thought over what would happen tomorrow. First, Gwyn and Ginny were dragging her to find dresses for the Ball. Then, Gwyn had some sort of plan about the secret letter sender she seemed to have.

"Yeah, fun in Hogsmead is just what I need," Draco said sarcastically. "I'll be stuck with Blaise while you're dragged off with Gwyn. How will I survive?" he said dramatically.

Hermione grinned and whacked him with another pillow.

"Ow! What was that for? I was serious!" Draco said.

"Oh, sure you were. Don't think I can't hear the sarcasm," she said.

"That wasn't sarcasm! That was pure love emitting from that statement!" he added. He ducked as the next pillow was hurtled his way. "Doust my sincerity offend thou?"

Hermione found herself giggling uncontrollably. She stopped when a pillow was thrown at her. She stared at Draco wide-eyed. He burst into immediate laughter after one look at her face.

Hermione grinned evilly and crawled toward her pillows only to be hampered when Draco grabbed her. Soon, she was lying on her back with him looking down at her. She stared up at him.

"Is this sincere enough?" he asked. He then leaned down so that his face was mere millimeters from hers. Hermione allowed her eyes to close and waited as his lips met hers.

The familiar feeling of strong attraction grabbed her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his perfect hair and pulling him closer. A strange and comforting tingling surged through her body awakening every aspect of her love for him. Draco's body reacted naturally to hers and hers to his. Her leg tangled itself with his and his hands roamed her body. He was perfect for her and she was perfect for him. Hermione could ask for no one better.

_Ron _

Standing in the hall where Hermione had left him, Ron's brain began to work through what she had said. Did he really want to ask Pansy out? Was it obvious that they seemed to come closer together? _How the hell did she know about us kissing? _Ron ran a hand though his hair.

"Surely, 'Mione was just kidding," he said. "I couldn't actually ask Pans-_Parkinson _to the Ball. And since when did we all start calling each other by our first names?" Ron sighed. He was standing in the middle of the hallway, speaking to himself. Everyone that passed him must think him insane. He groaned and walked to no where in particular.

Alright, he had to straighten all that was going on out. Obviously, his kiss with Pansy wasn't as private as they both had hoped. Not only that, but he had to admit that he definitely felt something during their little snogging session. At the time he had passed it off for lust. Lust, for one of the most beautiful girls in school, was understandable. No one would think it weird that he felt a tad bit of lust for someone like Pansy Parkinson. He could even cope with lusting after Parkinson.

Yet, the more time he spent with Pansy, the more he realized that it wasn't just lust. Of course he hoped it was, but he couldn't honestly say that he believed that it was lust and nothing else.

Every time Ron went out for patrol, he had the strange feeling that he needed to be close to her. And when he was close to her, he felt this even more strange attraction to her. He felt like she was some sort of life source that he couldn't possibly live without. Whenever he looked at her, he saw beauty that he'd never noticed before. He would look in her eyes and noticed the lure they had or he would noticed the lovely way her hair flowed down her back. It was insanity, pure insanity, not being able to reach over and just touch her. When he was holding her as she cried, he felt an odd sense of…dare he say, love. It was a sort of protective love, something any good friend would feel for their friends. But it was stronger than what you would feel for a friend.

And all these feelings had started because of the kiss. It was like their shared kiss was some sort of wake up call. Or it was some sort of catalyst to his hidden feelings. What was it that he was feeling? Would he ever know?

A tiny voice in the far recesses of his mind, struggled forward to give it's speculation. _Love_. The thought was something unexpected and Ron shoved it back to where he thought it belonged, in the far recesses of his mind. Love was definitely the wrong answer. Despite the fact that all the evidence pointed to that, he denied it. There was no way in hell that he was in love with Pansy Parkinson. He might as well forget the word all together because there was absolutely, positively no possible way that he was in love with Parkinson. And for a split second he wondered that _if _he did have strong feelings for her (those close to love) would she feel the same way about him? Would she--did she--feel what he was feeling?

Lost in thought Ron bumped into Pansy. He looked up and lost himself in her eyes. _Damn! I'm doing it again! Why the hell do I get so breathless when I look at her?_

"Hello, Ron!" Pansy exclaimed.

Ron raised an eyebrow, wondering why she was being so nice to him. "Uh, hey," He managed despite his breathlessness. "Um, Pansy, I have something to ask you." If ron could've looked at himself in shock, he would have. _What?! What am I doing? _

Pansy looked at him expectantly. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering," Ron licked his lips nervously. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the Winter Ball with me." _NO!!! When did I decide this? When was this? Why is this happening?!_ He shouted all the swearwords he knew inside his head. He cursed himself for putting himself through this unspeakable torture. Part of him was angry because he had no control over what was happening. Yet, part of him was angry because there was no guarantee that she would say yes.

Pansy stared at him for a good long minute. Ron watched her apprehensively. He was about to regard this as a failure when a small smile snuck its way onto Pansy's face. "Of course!" she exclaimed. She hugged Ron and dashed off before he could say a word.

Ron stood there and stared in the direction Pansy had ran off to. It took a bit for what happened to finally process in his brain. She had said yes. _Not only did she say yes, she said 'of course' and she hugged me! Dear Merlin she hugged me! She was excited, happy I asked! _He jumped around in joy, looking like a crazy man. _YES! Yes! YES! _

For Ron Weasley, love was definitely in the air.

**Yay! Another chapter up! I know a lot of you wanted to know how Ron felt towards Pansy so there you go! They're so perfect for each other. What do you think? Review and tell me!!**

**And thanks a bunches for all your reviews. I know it's kinda hard to follow this story with me taking forever to update but I totally appreciate all your patience but what I appreciate more are your reviews. Also a HUGE thanks to me editor: Isadora 120--who is beyond amazing!**


	28. Chapter 25

**Hey!! I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so SORRY!! I was supposed to have this done by Thanksgiving but, I sort of had tons of homework and crap to do. I had all these concerts for my school and community service. My sister came home like twice and after a while it was Christmas like out of nowhere. Then I had to study for mid-terms, which I'm still doing now. My first day of mid-terms is the day with my two hardest exams so I'm kinda pissed. Okay, in this is one chapter I have three parts. The first is really short--or it was supposed to be--but the other two are reasonably long. **

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 25- **

**Part1 - A Secret Revealed**

Hermione was frozen, even bundled in her coat and wearing her warmest hat. There was still snow everywhere, causing the bottom of her jeans--the part that dragged on the ground--to be soaked. She still had no gloves and she was shivering. Nevertheless, she allowed herself to be dragged to the next store by Gwyn, Pansy and Ginny. They had been to numerous stores full of silk dresses and beautiful evening gowns. Yet, they had not found one dress that they wanted. All of them looked at each dress with vague acceptance; none of them were good enough for the occasion.

"Hurry up," Gwyn called behind her. She knew exactly where to go to get the perfect gowns.

Hermione and Pansy slugged behind Gwyn and Ginny. This gave them a chance to talk. Pansy had pondered how to approach Hermione with her concerns. She had wondered if Hermione was aware of the immense amount of problems that Draco faced. But she knew that Hermione was well aware.

"Hey," Pansy said.

Hermione smiled weakly and Pansy immediately knew that she was going through an inner conflict with herself. "Hey," Hermione replied.

"Don't worry, Gwyn has some sort of plan." Pansy assured, knowing that Hermione was worried about her encounter with the secret lover.

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," Hermione laughed. Pansy grinned.

"Anyone would be," she said. "Gwyn's plans are sometimes questionable."

"And yet, the work without many flaws," Hermione added.

"You speak the truth," Pansy agreed.

The four girls scanned through more shops and finally found the perfect dresses. Then, they headed back out into the cold.

"Great! Now, who's hungry?" Gwyn asked, grinning wide. "We still have a little bit of time before we set the plan into action. So, who's up for some butterbeers and maybe some food?" Gwyn asked.

Ginny, Pansy and Hermione all grinned. "Food, sounds really good right about now," Hermione said.

"I second that!" Ginny called, rubbing her stomach.

"Yeah, I can hear Ginny's stomach growling." Pansy added. "Are we meeting the guys for lunch?"

"Yeah, we are." Gwyn said. "They're probably there already, but I'll call." She pulled her cell phone out of her bag and dialed a number.

"This will be a fun lunch," Ginny said.

"Yeah, your brother is probably going to try and kill Draco," Pansy added. "And Blaise already has a grudge against Spencer, he'll probably snap at Ron too." Ginny laughed.

"Yup, he probably will," Ginny agreed.

"But Ron could be calm you know," Hermione said, grinning.

"Yeah, if he's around Pansy," Ginny added. She and Hermione grinned.

Pansy narrowed her eyes at them both. "What are you saying?"

"We're saying that, Ron fancies you," Ginny said.

"Yes, and he probably dreams about you every night," Hermione grinned.

Ginny turned to Hermione. "Now that I think of it, Harry did mention that Ron moans in his sleep," Ginny said with a giggle.

Pansy stared at the two girls. She didn't know whether to be annoyed with them or to jump up and down with joy that Ron couldn't stop thinking about her--even in his sleep. The thought of Ron liking her that much made her heart jump. She felt herself blush--something that hadn't happened to her since she was way younger.

"Oh my god!! You're blushing!" Ginny exclaimed.

Pansy snapped out of her thoughts. "What?"

"Oh! She is!" Hermione said.

"I am what?" Pansy asked.

"Blushing!!" Hermione and Ginny both exclaimed.

"You so like Ron," Ginny said. "Can't understand why…but hey! There's someone for everyone, right?" Hermione smacked Ginny. "What, Ron's a nuisance!"

"Only to you. And that's because he's your brother. Brothers are supposed to be nuisances," Hermione said.

"Kay, guys let's go," Gwyn said. "They said they'll meet us there."

"I'm dying to know how they all survived together," Ginny said.

"Ron probably tried to kill Draco and then Blaise probably tried to kill Ron, and Harry and Spencer probably tried to keep the peace," Hermione predicted.

"That's sounds pretty accurate," Gwyn said.

"Maybe we should hurry," Ginny said. "To make sure no one dies."

"Yeah, I'm hungry," Pansy added.

"For what?" Ginny asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Pansy smacked her with her purse. "For food!" Ginny grinned and followed them to the Three Broomsticks.

"Really Ginny, you should stop teasing Pansy. She'll be your sister-in-law soon," Gwyn said.

Pansy's mouth dropped, while the other three girls laughed. "You guys better sleep with one eye open," Pansy threatened. Gwyn, Ginny and Hermione all stopped laughing but they couldn't hide their smiles.

"Sorry, Pansy I couldn't resist," Gwyn said.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just go eat," Pansy answered, walking ahead of them. She ignored the giggles she heard from behind her as she approached their destination. She could see the guys standing outside the Three Broomsticks and her heart leapt at the sight of Ron. She couldn't explain it but she was happy to see him.

"Oh look!" Gwyn exclaimed. "They haven't killed each other yet."

"That's good," Hermione said, smiling. Her heart had practically jumped out of her chest at the sight of Draco. He was wearing his Christmas present and a green and silver scarf. His hair was hanging in his face as usual--adding a another degree of sexiness to him.

Ginny shivered and pulled her hat lower onto her head. "Let's hurry, I'm freezing."

"Same," Pansy agreed.

"I'm not," Gwyn announced with a grin.

"Do vampires even get cold?" Ginny asked.

"Sometimes," Gwyn joked. Pansy smiled at her.

They reached the guys and Ginny practically jumped into Harry, almost knocking him over. Hermione slid her hand into Draco's and he smiled at her.

"You still don't have gloves?" he asked. She just grinned.

"So you guys are still alive," Gwyn said. "I'm surprised."

"Barely," Spencer said before kissing her. "Blaise is a little testy."

"Why shouldn't I be?" Blaise fumed. "You guys forced us to hang out with Potter and Weasel for the day. I can handle Hermione and Ginny but those two…" He pointed to Ron and Harry. "NO! Never again will you get me to be near them! Not all the bribery or seducing in the whole world could get me to do it!"

Pansy grinned. "Aw, poor Blaise. Next time we'll leave you with Lavender. She can satisfy your needs, can't she?"

Gwyn smiled, as did Draco and Spencer. Blaise, on the other hand, glared. "That is not funny! Nowhere close to being funny," he said.

"Plus, _Ron _and _Harry_ aren't that bad," Pansy added, emphasizing on their first names.

"Yeah, at least they don't hit on you," Gwyn said, grinning. This time everyone laughed. Even Blaise had to crack a smile.

"Alright guys, let's hurry up and go in," Draco said. "Some of seem to be cold." He looked at Hermione who was visibly shivering. She just smiled at him.

"Yes, and others are frozen and starving," Pansy added.

"Some are pissed off," Blaise mumbled as they all walked in.

Surprisingly, there was a table that could fit them all. They sat at a circular table almost in the middle of the Three Broomsticks. Hermione sat in between Ginny and Draco. Blaise sat on Draco's right; Spencer sat between Blaise and Gwyn, who sat next to Pansy; Ron sat on Pansy's right and on Ron's right was Harry and then Ginny, who was next to Hermione. They all ordered their Butterbeers and decided on what to eat

"So, what are we doing after this?" Blaise asked.

"I don't know what you guys are doing, but Hermione, Ginny, Pansy and I have some things to do," Gwyn said. "But I guess we could meet you guys after."

"What is it that you have to do?" Draco asked, suspicious of his cousin.

"Nothing I can let you know about," she said, grinning.

"And that only succeeds in making me more suspicious of you," he added.

"I know," Gwyn grinned. "So when's your next quidditch match?"

"A couple days after the Ball actually," Blaise said.

"Pretty funny how it's a match against us," Harry grinned.

"Yeah, we all know who will win," Ron added.

"You mean, you're admitting that we Slytherins are better than you?" Draco asked.

"No, _we--_as in, us Gryffindors-- are going to win," Ron said.

"Only in your dreams," Blaise said.

"Oh, great, look what I started," Gwyn said. "Remind me never to bring up quidditch again."

"Well, they've got to fight about something," Ginny said.

"True, very true," Pansy agreed.

"Why is it that us girls can get along but the guys are still on their superiority conflict?" Hermione asked.

"No idea," Pansy said, watching the guys argue about quidditch. "They don't even seem to hear us talking about them.

"And that surprises you, why?" Gwyn asked.

"It doesn't really, I just find it rather amusing," Pansy said. The conversation went on but she didn't pay much attention. She watched her friends laughing and talking. After all that had happened in the past year, she found it amazing how she could even stay happy. And now the recent events of her family life lay on her shoulders. Somehow, she would get through it and the people around her were the ones who could help her the most.

She had tried not to think too much about the funeral of her father but she couldn't help playing out possible situations. She imagined his once handsome face, pale and tortured. Nightmares plagued her sleep, nightmares of her father's dead body. Pansy was so relieved that Draco was going with her. She had no idea how she would get through it but with him there, she might actually get through it all in one piece.

Ginny made some sort of joke that Pansy didn't catch. The whole table erupted in laughter. She smiled at the sight of them all. An outsider looking on would never guess that anyone at this table hated each other. Pansy stole a glance at Ron. His face was bright red with laughter and his eyes glistened. She couldn't help but smile. It was hard to believe that only a year ago, she hated his guts. Now, she felt a certain tenderness to him. _Crazy, how you fall for the person you least expect to. _

…

Draco glanced at Pansy. She seemed to be holding up okay, but for how long? He knew she must have had a breakdown of some sort. If not, one was coming soon. Truthfully, he was worried about her. What friend wouldn't be? She had just lost her father, the parent she loved the most, and she had less than a week until his funeral.

She was holding in all her emotions, and he could tell. That was all of their problem: they all had grown into the habit of sucking it in and never letting it out. Gwyn had done it, Spencer had done it, Pansy did it, Blaise did it, He did it and even Lisa did it once in her life. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe what made Draco depressed was suppressing all his emotions. If so, there was no way in hell that he would let the same thing happen to Pansy. He had to help her through this in any and every way he could.

Hermione slid her hand into his under the table and he felt a tingling sensation at her touch. She grinned at him and he smiled back. He had no idea what he would do without her. She had helped him through so much in the past months alone. He was truly in love with her.

…

Gwyn looked at her watch, her plan had only a few more minutes until it was put into action. She beyond anything that it would work. It wasn't an elaborate scheme--actually, it was really blunt--but she assumed it would work. No one would be able to talk to her, Pansy and Ginny without looking like a scared bunny. They were probably the most forceful girls in Hogwarts.

Ginny's fascination with cursing people scared most. Also, the fact that if anyone messed with her, they would not only have to deal with her but Harry and Ron as well scared plenty of people. Pansy scares anyone and everyone. She can give you a deathly look that would make you pee your pants. As for Gwyn, just the fact that she's a vampire was enough. Yes, there was no doubt that her plan would work. All she had to do now was hurry it along.

She looked around, everyone was basically finished. "Guys, we have to get going," Gwyn said.

Ginny nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what time is it?"

"It's almost two-thirty," Gwyn answered.

"Really?" Pansy asked. Gwyn nodded. "Alright so how are we paying?"

"I've got it," Draco said.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked. "You know we could all pitch in."

"No, I've got it. It's my treat," he insisted.

"Plus, we'll help out," Harry added. Speaking for the rest of the guys. "You guys just go ahead."

"Aw, thanks," Pansy said.

"Well, we're off," Gwyn said, leading the other three girls out into the snow. As soon as they were farther away from the restaurant, she stopped. "Alright, first we should probably send the bags to our dorms." Everyone else nodded in agreement, sending their bags off as they did so.

"So what's the plan?" Ginny asked.

"Okay, it's not all that elaborate so bare with me," Gwyn said. "Hermione you cannot come in with us but you will be close and we'll tape it for you."

"Oh God, what are we doing?" Pansy asked.

"Alright, so basically we're going to confront this kid but Hermione can't be within sight. So it'll just be me and you two," She pointed to Ginny and Pansy. "And since we have the advantage of being rather forceful, we might actually be able to scare him off."

"That makes sense," Ginny said.

"If not, we can just hex him or something," Pansy added.

"Guys, seriously, please no hexing." Hermione put in.

"Fine," Ginny, Gwyn and Pansy said reluctantly.

"Great, you guys just follow my lead and don't relay any important information to this kid." Gwyn said as they walked to the Hog's Head. They reached the door and Gwyn turned to Hermione.

"Stay close but out of sight." She said. Hermione nodded. "Ready?" She said, turning to Ginny and Pansy.

"Ready," they replied.

Gwyn opened the door and they walked in. She looked around for any Hogwarts student. It seemed that none were there. "Do you see anyone that it could be?" she asked.

Ginny shook her head. "No, there's no one I recognize." Her eyes widened in horror. "What if it wasn't a student?"

Pansy smacked Ginny. "That's not even possible," she said. Ginny cracked a grin. "Hey, there is someone from school." Pansy stared off toward a boy sitting alone.

Gwyn looked at him for a minute. "Isn't he a Slytherin?" she asked.

Pansy nodded. "He transferred late last year. His name is Jason," she said.

"Well, lets see if he's the lucky guy," Gwyn said. She walked over to the table he was sitting at and Ginny and Pansy followed. "Jason, right?" she said.

"Yeah," he said, smiling up at her. "And you're Gwyn, right?"

Gwyn smiled. "yeah, you waiting for someone?"

"I am actually," he said.

"Oh great," She sat down across from him. He stared at her. "You wouldn't be meeting Hermione here would you?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, being her friends, we would never ever let her meet a guy that we don't trust," Ginny said, sitting down next to Gwyn.

"And for all we know, you could turn out to be a real perv." Pansy added, sitting on the other side of Gwyn.

"You don't have to worry," Jason said.

"Here's the thing," Gwyn said. "Trust is limited. And you're a bit suspicious."

"How?" he asked.

"Because, somehow, I got this crazy idea that you might have had something to do with that flyer of Hermione and Draco," Gwyn said.

"Excuse me?" he said.

"I honestly can't believe that Jackie Chase and her dippy friends got the idea to stalk Draco and Hermione and take that picture." Gwyn said. "Further more, it's rather hard to believe that they were competent enough to make copies and spread them around the school, seeing as they can't handle even the simplest of spells."

Ginny grinned. Gwyn was very good at this interrogating stuff. She didn't even know that Gwyn thought that was suspicious. When Pansy had said that Jackie took the credit for the flyer, Ginny thought that was it; that they found the culprit.

"What makes you think I had anything to do with it?" Jason asked.

"Well, it was all too convenient that Hermione was made at Draco, just in time for you to intervene. At first, it seemed like nothing but now, it kind of clicks, doesn't it?" Gwyn said. Her eyes bore into Jason's.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Cut the crap," Pansy said, glaring at him.

"Just answer the question truthfully," Ginny added.

"And if you don't…"Gwyn trailed off, giving him a grave look. Pansy made a slashing motion across her neck and Ginny grinned.

Jason looked at the three girls. They presented a major kink in his future life. Couldn't they see that he was in love with Hermione? Why couldn't they see that he was better for her? He wasn't depressed. He didn't constantly hurt her. What would make them all see that?"

"Listen, truth be told, I already know what you did," Gwyn said. "I have a psychic, mind reading little sister. And to top that off, I've already scanned your memories. I feel a teensy bit bad about doing it without your permission but, hey! It wasn't like you'd say yes if I asked you."

"So, if you know, than why do I have to tell you?"

"Because these two don't know," Gwyn said, motioning to Pansy and Ginny.

"What if I don't want to tell you?" Jason asked, only gaining fierce glares from all three girls. His eyes widened; somehow, he was actually intimidated by them. "Fine! You want to know?" They nodded. "Then, I'll tell you."

………………………………

Hermione paced back and forth outside the Hog's Head. She was so nervous. Gwyn, Pansy and Ginny were taking way too long to talk to the guy. It was now three o'clock, almost a half hour since they went in. _What if he did something to them?_ She thought frantically. _Of course he didn't do anything to them!_ her voice assured her. _They're good enough to handle anybody. : I guess you're right. : You don't have to guess, I know I'm right: Stop gloating. _

Hermione paced more frantically. Her mind went from _Maybe I should go in _to _They probably have it handled. _Thrice, she had turned to open the door but had decided better of it. She sat down on a bench only to stand up again. This was killing her. She so wanted to be there, to know what was going on.

Suddenly, the door opened and out came Gwyn, Pansy and Ginny. They were smiling brightly. Pansy's knuckles were red as were Ginny's.

"Well, that was pleasant," Gwyn said.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing really," Pansy said. "We forced him into spilling his guts."

"Almost literally," Ginny giggled.

"Then, those two punch him and got us kicked out," Gwyn laughed.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"He deserved it," Ginny said.

"Yeah, he was a jackass," Pansy added.

"What'd he do?" Hermione asked.

"Well, Gwyn totally scared him shitless when she told him she was reading his mind," Pansy said. Hermione looked at Gwyn wide eyed.

"I didn't really, but it's always a fun trick to use," Gwyn said innocently.

"Anyway, he confessed that he paid Collin Creevey to follow you around and take that picture," Pansy said.

"Then he made the flyers and gave them to Jackie and her cronies to spread around the school," Ginny said.

"And he paid them to pretend that they did the whole thing," Gwyn added.

"After that, he made his move," Pansy said.

"And then he started bragging about how easy it was and how stupid we all were not to catch on sooner so we punched him and told him that the next time we see him, he'll be in serious need of a coffin," Ginny said.

"So he won't be bothering you for a while," Gwyn concluded.

"Oh look! That's him!" Ginny said. Nodding toward a tall guy who had come out of the Hog's Head holding his nose. His hands were covered in blood that matched the color of his hair.

"Why haven't I seen him anywhere?" Hermione asked.

"He transferred to Hogwarts late last year," Pansy said with a shrug. "That's a lot of blood."

"No pain, no gain," Ginny said.

"True," Gwyn said. "Let's go find the boys before they actually kill each other this time."

Ginny grinned. "To…wherever!" she exclaimed with a laugh. They all smiled and raced each other through the snow.

………………………………

Hermione thrashed about and turned in her sleep. She was staring at his face--the boy from the Hog's Head. He had followed her home and she couldn't get away from him. A creepy smile was plastered on his face and laughed with coldness. His face loomed over her…closer…closer. He was only inches away. His breath reeked of beer and tic-tac. His lips were almost against hers before she woke up.

She breathed deeply and wiped the sweat off her face. "It's just a dream," she told herself. "It's just a dream." She fell back onto her pillow and tried to sleep. Yet when she closed her eyes, all she saw was his face.

Hermione sat back up and breathed again. "Gwyn and them took care of it," she reminded herself. "You're fine." She sat there calming herself for a few moments. When it didn't work, she got up and stretched. She silently opened her door and tiptoed down the hall. She took another deep breath and opened Draco's door.

"Hey," Hermione said. "You awake?"

"I wasn't," he mumbled into his pillow. He sat up. "What's up with y--?" He stopped when she hugged him. Draco raised an eyebrow but wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, nightmare," Hermione replied.

"Oh, you okay?" he asked.

"Sort of," she said. "Do you mind if I stay here?"

"No, I don't mind," Draco said. He slid over and she slid under the covers next to him. "You want to talk about it?"

"Nope, I'd rather forget about it," she said, laying her head against his chest.

"Okay then," he said, wrapping his arm around her.

Hermione felt safer next to Draco. She felt like nothing could get to her as long as he was there, absolutely nothing. She would take him over any lover letter writing kid any day.

**Again, I'm sooooo sooo so so so so so so sorry for the long wait. I feel absolutely terrible. I hope you all can forgive me. Pleeeeaaasssee REVIEW--even if it is just to tell me how mad you are at me. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to my AMAZING editor Isadora120!!!! **


	29. Chapter 26

**Wow, how long has it been? I feel like it's been forever. I've had some stuff written down on paper for a while but I never got a chance to type it and send it to my editor until now. I'm sooooooooo sorry guys. You all probably forgot about me or have some sort of grudge against me now…or some of you were probably like "she's not even that good a writer so who cares" (that last one would make me cry of course). But I have succeeded in typing up a new chapter--despite all the time I DON'T have. I hope you all will read and review!**

**Reincarnated Love **

**Chapter 26- **

**Part 2- Deadly Funeral **

Draco woke up, wondering if the past night was a dream. One look down told him that it wasn't. Hermione was still fast asleep with her head resting against his chest. He smiled, she looked even better when she was sleeping. He looked at the clock on his bedside table, it was only 7 AM. He groaned and let his head drop back on his pillow.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked.

Draco looked at her. "Way too early for me to be awake," he responded. She smiled at him. They lay there for a few more minutes, relishing each other's presence. "So what exactly was your nightmare about?" Draco asked.

Hermione thought for a moment. There was absolutely no way that she would tell him about Jason, just thinking about the guy scared her. There was no telling what Draco would do if he found out. She was mostly afraid that he would try to kill Jason. The only problem with that was that Draco would get locked up and Jason's death would be on her conscience.

"Nothing really, it was just one of those nightmares that seem realistic enough but really aren't," she said. "It just freaked me out."

"I can't even remember the last time I had a dream like that," Draco said.

"What, are your dreams worse?" Hermione asked.

"Sometimes," he said. "It depends on what they're about."

Hermione hugged him close and closed her eyes as she did so. Draco looked at her and smiled. He kissed the top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Oh, before I forget," Draco said. "I won't be here on Wednesday…or Tuesday for that matter."

Hermione lifted her head and looked at him. "Why?"

"Pansy's dad died and the funeral is Wednesday. She didn't think she could go alone without some sort of catastrophe going on so she asked me to go with her," he said.

"Aw, is she okay?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not too sure," Draco said. "That's why I'm going. I need to make sure she's okay."

"So you're leaving Tuesday?" She asked.

"Yeah," He replied.

"Was she close to her dad?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, pretty close." Draco stared at the ceiling. "I just hope nothing bad happens at the funeral."

"Would something bad happen?" Hermione asked.

"Knowing Pansy's family, yeah. There's a pretty good chance that someone will die during this funeral," he said, half smiling.

Hermione propped her head up on her arm. "Well, make sure she doesn't get killed." Draco looked at her and smiled.

"Don't worry, that's why I'm going," he said.

"Did you hear that Ron asked her to the Ball and she said yes?" she asked.

"Of course, I heard," He replied.

Hermione smiled. "I'm glad that those two are warming up to each other." she said.

"They'll definitely make an interesting couple," Draco said.

"Interesting seems to be the perfect word for them," Hermione agreed.

--

_Pansy _

Tuesday rolled around despite Pansy's extreme dread. For the entire weekend, she had been trying to distract herself from the depressing time. On Monday, she threw herself into her school work so that she wouldn't have to think about seeing her father's dead body in a coffin. She also spent a lot of her time with Ron--he had turned out to be a very good distraction. But now Tuesday had come.

Pansy was packed and ready to go, standing by the door to the Great Hall waiting for Draco to come down. She was alone of course, since it was way too early for anyone to be up--except for Gwyn but Pansy had told her that she rather wait for Draco alone.

"What's up with the daze?" Draco asked, a yawn in his voice. She hadn't even heard him approach her.

"Nothing, I was just thinking," Pansy replied. "You ready to go?"

"As ready as you are," he said.

"Then you're not ready at all," she said with a slight smile. Draco smiled back and pulled her close.

"Pansy, you'll be fine," he said, reassuringly. "So come on before you decide not to go at all." Pansy nodded slightly and picked up her bag. The two of them walked outside to find that Dumbledore had gotten Hagrid to make sure they got to their destination, which he did.

Draco and Pansy arrived at Ms. Eleanor Livingston's (formerly Mrs. Eleanor Parkinson) mansion in record time. They stood outside for a minute, just staring at the huge, snow covered home. Draco never liked visiting Pansy's mother's mansion, partly because he was pretty sure that she and his father had some sort of love affair when he was younger and partly because he couldn't stand Ms. Livingston or the way she treated Pansy. In his opinion, she was a nutcase and when she divorced Pansy's dad she just seemed to get crazier.

"I can't believe that I have to stay at this ugly slut's house," Pansy said, regaining the attitude that had been missing for the past few days.

"Try to be pleasant," Draco said although he was secretly glad that she was starting seem like Pansy again.

"I will…just not to her," Pansy said. She sucked in a deep breath and rang the doorbell. The door was immediately opened by the most beat-up looking house elf Draco had ever seen.

"Young miss, your mother has been waiting for you," the elf said.

"Of course she has," Pansy said, walking through the threshold into the house. Draco followed her, noting how different the place looked since his last visit--which was before Pansy's parents' divorce. Before the mansion had an elegant, antique feeling but now it seemed gaudy. The hall was overly decorated with gold hangings and such. The pictures were framed in golden frames and there were gold framed mirrors, and gold candlestick holders. It sort of looked like they were trying to flaunt their wealth, which is never very tasteful.

"Wow, they should definitely fire their decorator," Draco said.

"You mean fire the home-wrecker? Eleanor would never! She must agree to everything he says, he's a god to her," Pansy said.

Draco snickered. "Is she that in love with him?"

"I wouldn't call that love. I don't even think she's capable of love," Pansy said. "Oh wait, no. She's in love with money and sex. I think that's about all the love she's capable of."

"Darling!" Pansy's mother walked in wearing a dark blue evening gown and a shawl that matched. Her short hair hung in tight curls around her face--which was covered in her usual, rather large, amount of make-up. She held her arms out, expecting Pansy to hug her. She was disappointed when her daughter just stood there, staring at her. Eleanor settled for scrutinizing Pansy instead. "I know this is a hard time for you, it is for us all, but you must not resort to food, sweetheart," she said. "Food may be comforting now, but it has it's price."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Wow, mother, that's the most comforting thing you can say to me?" she asked, arching a single eyebrow.

Her mother stared at her for a second and decided to disregard the comment. She turned to Draco and smiled. "Draco, sweetheart, I haven't seen you for ages," she said, surveying him with, dare I say, lustful eyes. "Why do you never come to visit?"

"I haven't had much time to, my apologies," Draco replied, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze.

"You've grown so much, you're just as handsome as your father," she said, smiling flirtatiously at him. "I heard he's out of Azkaban. He should visit me sometime. I'd love for us to catch up."

Pansy stared at her mother with disgust. "Eleanor, I'm going to take Draco to his room okay?" She didn't really care if it was okay with her mother or not; she just needed to get her away from Draco. Pansy grabbed Draco by the arm and led him up the stairs.

"Don't forget to come down for brunch sweetie!" her mother called after them.

Pansy and Draco walked into Pansy's bedroom and threw their things on the floor. "What a friggen' slut!" Pansy exclaimed as Draco sat down on her bed. "Was she seriously _flirting _with you?" She started pacing up and down the room. "And I love how she attacks me about my weight. She is absolutely unbelievable!"

"I agree," Draco said.

"She needs to shoot herself in the face!" Pansy screamed.

"Who does?" Both Draco and Pansy turned toward the door to see Pansy's brother standing there.

"Oh my god! Max!" Pansy exclaimed, running into his arms.

"Hey, you seem happy to see me," he said.

"I am," Pansy said, letting go of him. "You have no idea."

"Well at least someone isn't annoyed with me," Max said.

"Why would anyone be annoyed with you?" Pansy asked.

Max sighed and sat down next to Draco. "Well mum and Damien are mad because I brought Analiese with me."

"You went back to Germany?" Pansy asked.

"Yeah, I do have a life there," Max said. "And she's a part of it despite what Eleanor says."

"Well, she has no right to say anything since Damien is always involved in everything," Pansy said.

"So Draco, what's new with you?" Max asked, turning his attention to Draco. "I haven't seen you for a while, what have you been up to?"

"He's been getting into trouble with his dad again," Pansy said.

"Really?" Max asked.

"Yeah, I've been disrespecting him ever since he got home from Azkaban," Draco admitted. "Also, I'm dating another muggleborn so I'm in even more trouble," he added.

"I don't care what anyone says, being pureblood is more of a curse than being muggleborm," Max said. "At least muggleborns are happy."

There was a soft knock on the door and a very petite young woman cautiously walked in. She had long blonde hair tied with a ribbon and sapphire eyes. She was wearing an emerald velvet amora top and dark jeans that were slightly faded at the knees.

"Your mother says that brunch is ready," the girl said, her voice heavy with a German accent.

"Analiese, you really shouldn't do favors for Eleanor, she'll just think that she can control you," Max said, smiling at her.

"There is a thing called manners," Analiese replied.

"Yes, and my mother lacks those," he said.

"True, but I don't," she retorted.

"Is this your girlfriend?" Pansy asked, smiling at Analiese.

"Yeah. Analiese, this is my sister, Pansy and her friend Draco," Max said.

"Pansy, I've heard so much about you!" Analiese said happily and hugged Pansy.

"And I've heard a lot about you too!" Pansy said.

"Excuse me!" They all turned to see Pansy and Max's soon to be step-brother standing in the doorway. "I believe that you were all ordered to brunch!"

"Shut up, Damon," Pansy said.

"We'll be down in a minute," Max said.

"How _dare_ you tell me to shut up?!" Damon demanded.

"Well, let's see, you are like three years younger than me, I'm of age and you can't do squat to me," Pansy said. "I don't really consider that daring, it's too easy you little twerp."

"You BITCH!" Damon screeched.

"Damon, just go downstairs and let your dad know we'll be down in a moment," Max said. Damon glared at them for a while, then turned on his heel and stormed out.

"What a little brat," Draco said.

"He is truly a little stinker," Analiese said.

"Well, we might as well go down and eat," Max said, standing up. They all followed him out the door and down the stairs.

"Oh Max did you know Eleanor has taken to flirting with Draco?" Pansy asked with pure disgust in her voice.

"Has she now?" Max asked. "I guess she's intent on getting every Malfoy male in bed with her then."

Draco snorted. "She said I'm as handsome as my dad," he said.

"Yeah, she wants you," Max confirmed. "I'd make sure that I'm not alone with her if I were you…you never know when she'll try to strike."

"Your mother is creepy," Analiese said. "Although she's not as creepy as Damien."

"Don't worry about him, he touches you and he's dead," Max said, his jaw set.

The four of them walked into the dining room to find the table half-full. At the head sat Damien--the notorious 'home wrecker'--with Eleanor and Damon sitting on either side of him. Pansy's Uncle Jeremy was there with his son, Francis, and his daughter, Caroline. Pansy's grandparents were also there along with her aunt, Justine. Pansy sat next to Draco and across from Max and Analiese.

"Ah, you are finally here!" Damien exclaimed.

"Pansy, Max, how many times have I told you both that you _never_ make people wait for you," Eleanor said. Pansy rolled her eyes and ignored her mother.

No one spoke until they were all halfway through the meal. "When is Lydia coming over?" Pansy asked--mostly to piss her mother off.

"I don't know, tomorrow maybe," Eleanor replied. "The actual funeral isn't until tomorrow."

"I think she should come over today," Pansy said. "She probably needs some support. I think she's most likely hurting right now." No one responded so Pansy went on. "I wish I could have gotten out of school sooner so I could comfort her. And just thinking of poor Cal and Hunter makes me want to give her a hug."

Eleanor threw down her fork, it bounced off her plate with a clatter and hit the floor. One of the house elves quickly ran to retrieve the fallen utensil and replaced it with a clean one. Eleanor calmed herself and stared at Pansy. "Pansy, darling, what did I say about food not being your friend?" she said. "You are stuffing yourself again."

Pansy looked at her mother and smiled. "Alright mother, would you like me to go throw it all up in the bathroom or would it be too rude to leave the table," Pansy replied, taking joy in the furious look on Eleanor's face. "If that is the case I am very skilled in projectile vomiting. I can aim it over to the corner."

Draco and Max tried to hold back their snickers as Eleanor turned red with fury. Their uncle Jeremy, however, was not skillful in hiding his laughter--especially now, while he was drunker than a sailor on vacation. He burst into loud, obnoxious laughter and started banging his hand against the table. This scene set Francis and Caroline into uncontrollable fits of laughter. Damien turned white as a ghost and he gripped his fork so tight that Pansy thought it might break in half.

"Pansy, you are excused from the table," Eleanor said.

"Thank you," Pansy said, smiling triumphantly. She pushed back her chair and walked out.

"May I also excuse myself," Draco said, as politely as he could without bursting into laughter. Then, he too walked out and dashed up to the safe confines of Pansy's room. "That was hilarious!" he said to Pansy. "Your mom was pissed!"

"I know, did you see Damien?" Pansy said, letting out her laughter. "That was the best thing that has happened since the divorce."

--

Pansy woke with a start early Wednesday morning. She opened her eyes to see Max hovering over her. He motioned for her to stay quiet.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"I was just out to see Lydia," he said.

Pansy sat up straight. "How is she?" she asked.

"She's not great, but I think she might last the funeral," he replied. "Not without bursting into tears, though," he added.

"Oh Merlin, I wish she were here," Pansy said.

"She's supposed to be coming over later on with all of her and dad's relatives," Max said.

"Is grandmum giving her a hard time?" Pansy asked.

"A little but grandpa is taking care of it," Max informed.

"Oh Max, I wish I could help Lydia right now," Pansy said. "I've never felt so close to her as I do now. It makes me feel bad that I ever gave her a hard time."

"Good, you were a bit of a wench when she and dad first married," Max said with a laugh. "So, I wanted to talk to you about Draco."

"What about him?" Pansy asked.

"How's he making out? I know he must have gone through a tough time during Christmas especially since that was when Lisa died," Max said. "How's he doing?"

"He's been in and out of a depression lately," Pansy said. "During the beginning of the year, he was having hallucinations and he sometimes locked himself in his room for hours at a time. But he's been doing better ever since he started dating Hermione."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Granger?" Pansy nodded. "Wow, I never would have guess. But then again, I never would have thought that he'd fall for Lisa," he said.

"Yeah, well he's been my rock for the past couple of days," Pansy said. "I've been able to lean on him and he's supported me so I owe him."

"Are you dating anyone?" Max asked. Pansy rolled her eyes as she noticed his older brother protective thing kick in.

"No, not officially," Pansy asked. "What about you and Analiese?"

"What about us?" Max asked.

"What are your intentions?" Pansy asked with a smile.

"Truthfully?" Pansy nodded. "I was going to ask her to marry me on Christmas but dad got sick and I decided to postpone it."

"Really?" Pansy asked, getting excited. "When are you going to ask her now?"

"I don't know, maybe her birthday or valentine's day," Max said, looking thoughtful.

"You should do it on whatever day is closer," Pansy said. "You never know if your life will end before you ask her."

"You're right," Max said. "Well, for now, let's go help with whatever funeral stuff that needs to be done."

The two of them got up and offered their assistance to their mother, reluctantly. Draco and Analiese also helped out. Eleanor had them running around, talking to the caterer and welcoming family members that showed up throughout the day.

At ten, Lydia arrived with Cal, Hunter and Holly. When Pansy opened the door and saw them, she threw her arms around Lydia and wouldn't let go for a full two minutes. When she finally let go, they both had tears in their eyes.

"Pansy, honey, I'm so glad to see you!" Lydia said.

"Me too," Pansy replied. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to go over and visit you, it has just been so hectic here."

"It's okay," Lydia said. "How have you been doing?"

"I'm hanging in there, what about you?"

"Same, more or less," Lydia replied.

Pansy looked at her step-mother and realized that there was something different about her. She had gotten… "Oh my god! Are you pregnant?" Pansy asked.

Lydia smiled through her tears. "Yes."

"When did…" Pansy couldn't finish.

"I found out after your father got sick, that day when I passed out," Lydia supplied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Pansy asked.

"I didn't want anyone to worry about me," she replied.

"Yeah, and you almost endangered yourself and the baby by overworking yourself to help Gabriel," Holly said. "Hey, Pansy."

"Hey," Pansy replied absentmindedly. She couldn't believe that Lydia was pregnant. Cal and Hunter were only two and now Lydia was going to have to worry about another small child running around. And this one wouldn't ever know his/her father. Pansy hugged Lydia again. "If you need any help, I'm here."

Lydia smiled. "I know."

"Pansy! Are you slacking off again!" Eleanor's voice could be heard from down the hall. "I better not catch you eating! You know what I told you about food!" she said as she approached them. "Oh, you're here."

"Hello Eleanor," Lydia said, politely.

"Lydia," Eleanor said her name with disgust. She glanced at her and then said, "Pregnant again, huh? Aren't you a fertile one, popping babies out left and right."

"Eleanor, you haven't changed," Lydia said through gritted teeth.

"Right, well, Pansy can show you where you are to stay," Eleanor said. Then she turned on her heel and strutted down the hall.

"Don't mind her," Pansy said. "She's just mad because we all like you better."

"She's got that right," Max said.

"Max!" Lydia said, smiling. She hugged him tight and smiled. "How have you been?" she asked. "Although, I just saw you this morning!" She laughed.

"I'm good," Max said. "And Lydia, this is Analiese."

Lydia looked at Analiese and hugged her just as tight as she had Pansy and Max. "It's so nice to finally meet you!" She let go and backed up so she could get a good look at her. "You are absolutely gorgeous!"

"Thank you," Analiese said, blushing.

"And Draco! I haven't seen you in ages!" Lydia pulled him in a hug as well. "How have you been?"

"I've been doing okay," Draco said. "You?"

"Not so good, but I'm much better now!" Lydia said.

--

The funeral service started at noon, immediately after the viewing. Lydia refused to look at the body, as did Pansy. Draco decided to sit with Pansy and Lydia instead of seeing the body. He didn't think he could handle it either, dead bodies just weren't his cup of tea. Max, on the other hand, practically guarded his father's coffin. Poor Analiese--who looked rather sick, Draco noticed--sat with him dutifully. Eleanor made a show of going to look at her dead ex-husband and burst into fake tears. Damien comforted her of course. Pansy's uncle Jeremy was drunk as usually and tried to hug his dead brother-in-law, while most of the family members paid their respects to Pansy, Max, and Lydia.

When the service started, Lydia was already crying. She wasn't bawling like Eleanor did when she saw Gabriel Parkinson's body but there was a continuous flow of tears in her eyes. Cal, who sat on her lap kept trying to wipe her face but when he didn't succeed, he too started crying. Lydia hugged him close and shushed him but to no avail. Pansy squeezed Draco's hand as an attempt to keep a hold of herself, but once Hunter started to cry along with his brother and mother, she lost it. Soon enough, everyone was crying. People made speeches about Gabriel and more tears were shed. The whole service went on like that, although it was interrupted by Eleanor's showy sobs of distress.

After the service, everyone dined outside. Lanterns were put up and the food was set out. People were constantly giving their condolences to Pansy, which made her cry even more.

"Hey, couz!" Francis said. He slipped an arm around Pansy's shoulder. "Why so glum? Be happy that your pops is in a better place or what ever."

Pansy glared at him. "Are you seriously going to do this?"

"Do what?" he asked.

"Hit on me and act like a jerk," Pansy said.

"I'm not acting like a jerk," Francis said.

"Alright, then leave me alone," Pansy demanded, shrugging off his arm.

"Jeez why are you such a bitch today?" Francis asked. Pansy just glared at him and walked away, trying to find Draco.

"Pansy," Lydia said. Pansy turned toward her and tried her best to smile. "Hey sweetie, do you know where Hunter is?"

"I thought I saw him with Holly," Pansy said. "I'm pretty sure she was taking him to the bathroom."

"Oh good," Lydia said, looking relieved.

"Are you okay?" Pansy asked.

"I don't think so," Lydia said. "It all feels so surreal, you know. Everyday, I expect to wake up to his smiling face," she explained. "And the more I realize that that's not going to happen ever again, the more I want to feel his arms around me, comforting me."

"I know what you mean," Pansy said, using all her might to hold back her tears.

"I finally know how Draco feels," Lydia said. "I feel like I understand him a bit more now."

"Yeah," Pansy said. It was getting harder for her to keep from crying.

"For the past few weeks, I've been wondering whether or not I will be able to recover from this and now that I see how Draco is, I have some hope," Lydia said. "Despite the fact that he's probably not doing that great, he still seems to be able to support a friend in need; he's a truly great friend." Lydia covered her mouth with her hand as an attempt to stop the coming sob. "I'm sorry honey, will you excuse me?" With that, Lydia headed for the bathroom.

Pansy felt like following her, that way they could cry together, away from all their superficial relatives. She hated her relatives so much that she felt like screaming at them. She watched them all laugh and chat merrily. How could they be so happy when her dad was gone? How could they live with themselves, knowing that they never really cared? They just saw this as a social event where they could talk about how unfortunate Pansy and Max and Lydia were. This was just another opportunity for Eleanor to pretend that she was a great wife and mother, which she wasn't.

Suddenly, Pansy felt nauseous and sick. Everything spun in her vision and she only saw everyone and everything as distorted figures and shapes. She felt like she was losing control of her body. She was so dizzy that she didn't catch on to what was going on around her.

She didn't notice that her uncle Jeremy was drunker than usual. Nor did she notice the fight that Jeremy started with her father's brother, Daniel. She was too nauseous to notice that the two men had become violent and that they were actually throwing punches at each other. She didn't see her uncle Daniel shove Jeremy, with all his strength, in her direction--unintentionally of course. The next thing she knew everything was spinning and someone had grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way.

Pansy looked up at the blurred image of Draco and then at the bloody image of her uncle Jeremy behind him. He was lying in a puddle of red and there was screaming. Then, everything went black.

**Long, I know. That was my way of making up for the half a year wait, although I'm sure it wasn't nearly enough. I'd like to thank my editor Isadora120 because she's stuck by me despite the serious lack of writing that has been going on--on my part, of course. She's pretty awesome!! Also, to all of you who have waited this long for me to update(if any of you have...)I cannot express how much I love you! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAASE REVIEW! **


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